Summer: Class of 2020 | Kansas City Senior Photographer | Loose Park
This is a pretty exciting journal entry for me because it is the LAST session for the Class of 2020 that I photographed and I’m thrilled that it’s this beautiful soul, Summer. I actually met Summer last year when she hired me for a “Just because” portrait session from instagram. I always find these sessions especially magical. In fact, my passion for portrait photography was born out of “Just Because” sessions as I saw the importance of celebrating your worth at all times, not just when you think you’re supposed to.
Photographing someone allows me to get to know them on a deeper level as I’m not only learning about them through conversation as we shoot, but I’m paying attention to what they light up about, what makes them smile, how they feel empowered, etc. I absolutely LOVED getting to know Summer. Her kind heart shines through her eyes and even through the way she speaks. She’s a lover of many creative hobbies from photography to baking to floral design and is looking into a career in the wedding industry! But one of my favorite things about her (Especially as a photographer) is her love of fashion. Every time I see her (whether for one of our sessions or on social media) she always has an amazing outfit put together that her personality just beams through. Her sense of self is truly inspiring and such an honor to capture into portraits.
We shot her senior session at Loose Park on Memorial Day Weekend. I was a little nervous about how crowded it could be, but we really wanted to photograph her in some gorgeous flowers and my lesser known wildflower spots weren’t quite blooming yet! Along with the famous rose garden, we found many other photo ops and were able to avoid crowds for the most part. Summer is always willing to get into any tree or bush I ask her too haha, as she also loves those kinds of shots. Time went by so fast as we found a variety of backdrops for all 4 amazing outfits she put together, each one showing a different part of who she is.
Over all, I’m so thankful she and her mom made the drive to KC from Columbia just so I could photograph her again for her senior year. The Pandemic may have postponed her shoot, but we were determined not to cancel it! So keep scrolling to see this gorgeous senior and all of the amazing facets of her we captured to commemorate this chapter in her life:
Thank you again Summer, for being your amazing self and trusting me to illustrate your story through portraits! I’m so excited to see all you will do!
EffJay Photography | Kansas City Senior Photographer