To Be 17 Again

I spent my Saturday morning taking photos of my lovely 17-year-old sister. She graduates from high school this spring — a full ten years after my own commencement.

senior photo

Do you remember what it felt like to be 17? At that time, I was growing out of my awkward teenage self and into a young lady. I played the clarinet in the high school band, and I was a member of the varsity cheerleading squad. I took AP history classes and practiced creative writing. I finally had a brace-free smile, but I still did not know how to apply mascara and lipstick.

My sister, Laura, is much more stylish than I was at 17. She wears dresses with chunky belts and slouch boots. And she knows how to accessorize.

senior photo

Saturday was a pleasant day with just the right amount of cloud cover to make a wannabe photographer a happy gal. We headed east to the Susquehanna River (near Lauxmont Farms where I said my vows almost three months ago) with a borrowed lens and flash for my Canon Rebel XTI. (Kennedy promised not to do anything too cute while we had Momma’s and Dadda’s camera.)

The lens generated greater depth of field, and the flash produced a softer, more realistic light. (You know both went directly onto my wish list at the end of the day — along with the 50mm f/1.8 lens.)

senior photo

In addition to having a smile that warms a room, Laura is also a superstar athlete. So of course I had to get some shots of her with her Districts and States medals. Her neck ached after holding up all that bling!

Laura is so anxious to start college next fall. She doesn’t yet know where she’ll go, but she has high aspirations of becoming a nurse. Her compassionate personality is a perfect match for that profession.

Did I mention our mother served as stylist for the shoot? She reminded Laura to change her jewelry with each outfit, and she made sure each strand of hair was in place before I snapped the shot. The three of us enjoyed lunch at the John Wright Restaurant before packing up our equipment and heading home.

It was the perfect way to spend my Saturday and really rejuvenated my passion for photography. Of course, it helped to have such a cooperative and photogenic model!

10 thoughts on “To Be 17 Again

  1. Your sister is MUCH cooler and more fashionable then I was at 17 and she is lucky to have a sister who took some beautiful pictures to capture it! Do you take pictures for fun or is it a business?

  2. Thanks for the compliments, ladies! I only take photos for fun, but I did just order two new lenses for my camera. Perhaps it will become a paying gig some day!

  3. 50mm is fantastic yes? i have one and it’s awesome. my next lens purchase is the 70-200mm L series. i used to rent it for jobs, but now i’m just going to buy one.

    my name is linked up to my blog.

    i’m quite embarrassed…and let me preface this by saying: you are interesting, so are your stories, and i started reading your blog when i saw your foodie pics on flickr. but as you rummage through some of my stuff or google me, you may find out that we know some of the same people…

  4. You are so talented!! These are beautiful photographs!!
    One of the things on my list for next year is a nice camera.

    Oh, and yes, I do remember when I was a senior, although it was only a couple of years after she was born!! Yikes!!
    It’s such a fun time in your life, though. Everything is new and fun and fresh with possibilities!!

Leave a Reply to Emily Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *