Josh | Daniel Boone Class of 2017 | Berks County High School Senior Photographer

Last week, after several reschedules due to rain, I met up with Josh at Gring's Mill to create his senior portraits.  Josh is a member of Daniel Boone's Class of 2017 and will be graduating this weekend! We finally caught a break from Mother Nature and had amazing weather and light for his session!

And with this session, my 2017 senior photoshoots are in the books! It was such a pleasure having so many smiling seniors in front of my lens this year! Best of luck to Josh and all of the other 2017 graduates! I can't wait to see what 2018 has in store for all of us!

I hope you enjoy a few of my favorite photos from my time with Josh... and his lacrosse stick. :)

Colleen | Wilson High School Class of 2017 - Part 2 | Berks County Senior Photographer

In September, Colleen and I met up for Part 1 of her high school senior photoshoot.  Last weekend, we reunited to create Part 2!  We had already rescheduled a few times, and the forecast was once again questionable, so we decided to hold the photoshoot at the GoggleWorks.  I think this venue has a lot of character, and if the weather took a turn for the worse, we would be able to run inside to finish.  The weather ended up holding out for us!  You'll notice that we decided to take a few photos inside anyway.  This building has so much personality, I couldn't choose just inside or outside - so we used both!

Colleen will be attending the University of Alabama in the fall, and they are so lucky to have her!  She has a heart of gold, and a smile to match.  I feel so fortunate to have gotten to know her family over the years.  I'm looking forward to watching her graduate this weekend, as my oldest daughter will be graduating along with her!  Congratulations to Colleen and to the rest of Wilson High School's Class of 2017!!

I hope you enjoy some of my favorite photos from our session...

Gabe | Wilson High School Class of 2017 | Berks County Senior Photographer

Meet Gabe, a member of Wilson High School's Class of 2017!  Last weekend, Gabe and I met up to create his senior portraits.  (We wanted to do them earlier, but Mother Nature had other plans for us!)  I met Gabe and his family back in 2004, the day we moved back to Pennsylvania from California (we shared backyards).  That also happened to be the summer before he entered kindergarten, along with our oldest daughter. It means so much to me to have been able to capture his senior portraits for him and his family! It feels like our families have come full circle. I'll be in the bleachers cheering for Gabe when he graduates from Wilson High School next weekend (not only because he's a great guy, but also because my oldest daughter will be graduating, too)! Gabe, Temple University is lucky to have you joining them in the fall!!

Our photoshoot started at the Reading Museum and ended at the Wyomissing Park. I think it is awesome that he chose to wear three different outfits, and brought his dog along... as well as a duck decoy.  You'll have to ask Gabe about the duck sometime...  I hope you enjoy this selection of my favorite photos from his session!

Austin, Conrad Weiser Class of 2017 | Berks County High School Senior Photographer

I recently met up with Austin and his mom and dad to capture his senior portraits.  I have had the honor of creating portraits for a number of high school seniors this year, and it really fills up my heart!  I love being surrounded by so much youth, joy, energy, potential, and hope!! Austin is graduating from Conrad Weiser High School in just a few days!  Congratulations to Austin and the rest of the members of the Class of 2017!

I hope you enjoy a few of my favorite photos from our recent session at the Wyomissing Park.

Maddie's Senior Portraits in Fort Collins | Colorado Destination Photographer

While I was in Colorado in April, I had the pleasure of meeting up with Maddie and her family to capture her senior portraits!  She'll be a senior next year, and attends high school in Fort Collins, CO.  If you've ever been to Fort Collins, you know it is beautiful and is overflowing with character.  I was so excited to be able to create these images for her in such a great location!

I first met Maddie when I lived in Southern California in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when she was just heading off to elementary school.  Being able to come full circle and photograph her now as she gets ready to begin her senior year made this session even more special.

Congratulations, Maddie!  I hope you have an amazing senior year!  I have no doubt that incredible opportunities await you.

Here are a few of my favorites from our photoshoot...

Kaiya and Mitch | Wilson HS and Cocalico HS Proms | Berks County High School Senior Photographer

My oldest daughter, Kaiya, is a senior at Wilson High School.  Last year, as a junior, she decided to forego prom.  She wanted to wait until this year to attend.  This year rolled around, and she ended up going to not one, but two proms!  Her boyfriend, Mitch, is a senior at Cocalico High School.  So, they attended his prom on April 22nd and her prom on May 6th.

Cocalico's prom took place at The Eden Resort and Suites in Lancaster.  I was shooting a wedding that day and was unable to take prom photos, but I came up with a backup plan.  Kaiya and Mitch agreed to stop by the Reading Museum so my friend and fellow photographer April Westhafer could snap a few photos of them (which I later edited).

For Cocalico's prom, Kaiya wore a stunning navy dress from Rent the Runway.  I love that website and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a dress for a special event or photoshoot, without the added commitment of purchasing it!  Kaiya's hair and make-up were done at Iron Roots Salon in West Reading.  Mitch rented his tux from Fifty-Fifty Tuxedos in Sinking Spring.

Wilson's prom took place at the Wilson High School.  Since Kaiya and Mitch had a "floral" backdrop for their first set of photos, we decided to go with more of an urban backdrop for this session.  This time we ended up at the GoggleWorks.  (This is also the location of my new photography studio which will be opening in June!!)

For Wilson's prom, Kaiya wore a gorgeous navy dress from Macy's in New York City and elegant nude heels (also from Macy's).  (Big thanks to her aunt Amy and uncle Yoshi for offering to take her on a prom shopping excursion in NYC!)   Kaiya purchased material on Etsy and made her own beautiful choker!  Kaiya's hair and make-up were again done at Iron Roots Salon in West Reading.  Mitch rented his tux from Fifty-Fifty Tuxedos in Sinking Spring.

Here are a ton of photos from both April 22nd and May 6th.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!  I can't believe how quickly my little girl has grown up, and I'm so amazed at the gorgeous, talented, strong young woman who she has become.  I will forever cherish these photos and memories.  Thank you, Kaiya and Mitch, for taking the time out of your hectic prom days to create these photos with us!  You both looked absolutely incredible at both of your proms!

Ryan, Conrad Weiser Class of 2017 | Berks County High School Senior Photographer

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to meet Ryan for his senior portrait session.  He was so much fun to photograph - and his parents are pretty fun, too!  You know what they say about apples and trees...

Ryan is graduating from Conrad Weiser in a few weeks and will be attending Penn State in the fall.  So, we thought it was fitting to capture a few photos on the Penn State Berks campus!  At the end of our session, we headed to a local football field, where he and his dad tossed around a football for a few minutes.  I could tell they were completely in their element!

I hope you enjoy a few of my favorites from our photoshoot.  Congratulations to Ryan and the rest of Conrad Weiser's Class of 2017!!

Late Night Netflix is Dead | High School Senior Session | Harrisburg Photographer

Last week, Kaiya and I took an impromptu trip to Harrisburg to snap a few photos.  We brought along one of her prom gowns, just for fun!  We started off at the Late Night Netflix is Dead mural, then wandered around the surrounding area.  There are so many great spots there!!  I definitely want to go back.

On the way home, we stopped at Stoudtburg Village for a few more photos before the rain eventually chased us away.

Here are a few of our shots from the day.  Enjoy!

Jackson, Wyoming - Part 2 | Kaiya, Class of 2017 | Destination High School Senior Portrait Photographer

While Kaiya and I were in Wyoming in November, we decided to add a few photos to her ever-growing high school senior portrait portfolio!  Here are a few of our favorites from Grand Teton National Park, Mormon Row, and downtown Jackson Hole.

Here's a fun fact about the incredible antler arch that you will see in the photos...  Jackson is home to a National Elk Refuge, and the roughly 8,000 antlers that make up the four matching arches in downtown Jackson Hole all come from the elk's annual antler shedding.  No animals were harmed to obtain the antlers to create these enormous and iconic arches.

Kaiya's Nor-Am Races at Buck Hill, MN | Pennsylvania Snowboard Photographer

This year, I made a few big changes in my life.  One was resigning from teaching after 16 years and supplementing my photography business with educational consulting.  That big career change has allowed me to pursue both my photography and education passions simultaneously, and has given me increased flexibility in my schedule to support my family as they pursue their own passions... and it has given me more time to snowboard. ;)

Our entire family snowboards.  This shared passion is part of the glue that keeps our family so close.  All three of my daughters are alpine snowboard racers, and my oldest daughter, Kaiya, is now competing at the international level.  I was able to accompany her recently as she raced in her first North American (Nor-Am) Cup events of the year at Buck Hill Resort in Burnsville, Minnesota.

There were four events scheduled over the span of three days (three "big" Nor-Am parallel slalom races, and one "junior" Nor-Am parallel slalom race).  The temperatures ranged from a high of 20 degrees on Friday, to a low of -40 degrees on Sunday (including the wind chill).  It was so cold on Sunday morning that the races had to be delayed until the temperatures rose above -20 degrees so that the lifts could operate.

Kaiya finished 14th on Friday evening (her first ever evening event under the lights!), 2nd on Saturday morning (only missing first place by .02 seconds!!), 6th on Saturday afternoon (after a heartbreaking DQ), and 7th on Sunday.  I'm so proud of her performance in all of her races that weekend, especially considering that she wasn't able to train on gates prior to the races because of the lack of snow here on the east coast!  The last time she practiced in gates was last June at Mt. Bachelor, Oregon!  It's hard to describe the range of feelings I experience on race days.  Leading up to and during any given race, there's an exhilarating (and exhausting) combination of anxiety, excitement, joy, heartbreak, happiness, suspense, and pride.  Lots and lots of pride.  Looking through my camera and focusing on taking pictures during her races helps keep my anxiety (somewhat) under control.

Kaiya's 2nd place finish was her best Nor-Am finish to date, and resulted in her first time earning a spot on the medal podium (and the first time she won prize money)!  Kaiya's next Nor-Am race will take place at Steamboat Springs, CO in two weeks.  Her younger sisters have a race coming up at Camelback Mountain in the Pennsylvania Poconos next weekend.  I'm looking forward to an amazing season for all three "SnowSurfGirls"!

If you happened to be at Buck Hill and saw me waving and pointing like a crazy woman every so often, it's because I was signaling to family and friends who were watching the race via Buck Hill's webcam.  They asked me to wave whenever Kaiya was coming up next, and to signal which lane she would be racing in. ;)

Here are a few photos of Kaiya from her races at Buck Hill.  I wish you all could have been there in person!