Meet Clay | Canton South High School | Class of 2022
Getting to highlight Clay and relive our portrait session together is such a delight! Clayton, who goes by Clay, is a senior in the class of 2022 at Canton South High School. We held his September senior portrait session at Gervasi Vineyards and the Canton South baseball field. Having known Clay and his family for years, I anticipated some fabulous portraits, but even I wasn't expecting it to be this spectacular. As we met up that evening and I had a chance to see his wardrobe, we discussed our plan. It was then that I knew our visions were perfectly in line and it was going to be magical!
Clay is many things, and we wanted to capture all of it. He is serving as a Student Officer in the role of Treasurer, he is involved in Bleacher Creatures, Aultman Ambassadors and Student Leadership. And.... he is a long-time baseball player. Baseball is huge for Clay, so the picture that you see above was a little something special that we wanted to create.
Clay's friends would describe him as outgoing and hardworking. I would have to add that he is fun and incredibly kind. He likes to listen to a lot of rap music and loves to travel. So, adding the shades to a few pics just seemed like the thing to do. And, I loved the results!
Something interesting about Clay is that he loves to meal prep. He likes baking and cooking, too. What a delicious way to be creative!
Clay enjoys many activities outdoors and he is into lifting. You can certainly tell there is something going on... I mean... check out these guns!
As we moved from place to place and outfit to outfit, Clay was great at giving input to the portrait creation process. The setting that you see below was all his idea, and this shot became a favorite for both of us.
The flannel was our last outfit that we had planned for the grounds of Gervasi, so we made it count. Give me some lovely glowing backlight and I will be in heaven creating portraits.
We left the beauty of Gervasi and headed to familiar ground for Clay... the Canton South baseball field. Clay has actually already signed a letter of intent to attend and play baseball for the Allegany College of Maryland. Connecting his current home baseball field with this proudly worn shirt depicting his future home was integral to tell that story.
Clay knows that when he leaves high school, he will miss being able to spend a lot of time with his friends. Nonetheless, he is excited to leave the area for a little bit to explore more of what the world has to offer.
We got lucky and the sky was particularly cooperative that night, so we used that spectacular backdrop. This is where the creative use of my off-camera flash and some intentional camera settings can help to create some drama.
I like to use the dugout for several baseball portraits because so much of the game is "played" here from a mental standpoint. I love this casual and comfortable shot that you see below.
I also love the intensity of this shot that you see below. What a fabulous jawline!
What did Clay have to say about his senior portrait session?
"Laura has always been a very nice and outgoing lady and I truly enjoy being around her energy. I liked everything about the session, but mostly I liked just being my true self and my style. I would advise others to be sure to show your style."
Clay, I am such a fan! You and your portraits are so fabulous. I just can't wait to see what the future holds for you. I will be cheering you on as you make your mark on the world. We need you!
