August 30th was a beautiful day.  As I made my way to Silver Park in Alliance for my portrait session with Noah, I was, as usual, full of excitement.  After all, I was going to get to meet some new people, spend the evening outside in the gorgeous weather, and do my favorite thing... take portraits.  I started to wonder what Noah was feeling at that time.  Most seniors are a little nervous about the idea of having their picture taken all evening.  They worry that they aren't going to be very good at this.  What if they don't like how the portraits look?  Are they going to feel self conscious posing for a camera in the middle of a park?  There are probably about a million other things they can think of that they would rather be doing.  

        When Noah got out of the car, I could sense a little of those concerns, but I saw a willingness to buy into the system because he knew this is what would make Mom happy.  I mention this because of the transformation that I saw as we progressed through the session.  Below are the portraits from our very first segment.  Doesn't he look fabulous?  Once he saw the back of my camera, he realized that he is actually really good at this.  I saw the concerns vanish and then we really started having fun.  Even though I love that smile, Noah totally nailed the serious poses, too.  Oh, we are just getting started!

        Noah's wardrobe for segment 2 of our session stepped it up a little bit.  This pop of color was a fabulous choice and I knew the green backgrounds would offer some nice contrast.  The smile in the one below where he is looking over his shoulder is one of my absolute favorites.  I clearly remember gasping as I looked at the back of my camera on that one.  I tend to do that a lot, as Noah quickly learned.  Once again, I can't help but love that serious one below, too.  This is about when we realized he just might have modeling in his future.         During a portrait session, I make a conscious effort to create variety in the portraits we are capturing.  Of course it helps when there is some variety in wardrobe or props.  Noah did a fabulous job of giving me a lot to work with.  Check out the deep moody portraits below.  I love this look, but it only works well in certain outfits and settings.  We really hit the right combination here!  I knew this shirt was his personal choice, so I wanted to give him something to showcase the look appropriately.  He gave me exactly what I was looking for.  Again..... he is nailing this session!

        Segment 4 was probably Noah's favorite segment.  I am always happy when both Mom and Dad can come along for the portrait session fun.  In this case, we really appreciated that Dad was able to help carry and care for the gun and crossbow.  When I talked with Noah about his passion for deer hunting, I could see the light in his eyes.  Just look at that smile in the first portrait below.  That is a genuine smile.  We were taking these pictures at the end of August, which is not deer season.  I did manage to create a little bit of a fall look so that it seems a bit more authentic.  

        Remember when I mentioned that Noah made it easy to create variety in his portraits?  Well, here is a total change in gears as we are featuring his love of golf.  Noah explained to me that he just really loves golf.  He isn't on a team or anything, but he manages to get out to the course to play quite often during the summer.  I was so happy to hear this.  Sometimes, I feel that we place so much emphasis on organized sports and clubs that we forget to simply enjoy the activity for the sake of doing it.  Noah reminded me about this important lesson.  I hope that he maintains his love of golf for a lifetime.  I have to say that I totally love the angle of the portrait on the right below.  He held that pose for a while so that I could get it dialed in perfectly.  It was soooo worth it!

        And here is another passion for this well-rounded young man... baseball.  As a pitcher on the Louisville Varsity Baseball Team, Noah spends a lot of time on the mound.  I could tell that just being on the field and slipping on the glove ignited an intensity in his eyes.  I was thrilled he gave me some of that to capture, as well as the easy-going smile that he wears so well.  

        So, add another amazing Senior to my list of favorites.  Noah likes to hang out at fires with friends who would describe him as funny.  He likes to shop at Finish Line and eat crab legs.  And, with good tastes like that, he is sure to choose a great college to pursue after graduation.  Noah said that he did have fun during our session and I'm so happy to hear that.  I really had fun spending the evening with him and his parents.  Noah, I can't wait to see what the future holds for you and I hope that you continue to find joy in your many interests.  Thank you for allowing Laura Esposito Photography to capture your senior portraits.

You make the memories; I will help you cherish them.

Love and Smiles,

Laura