Beautiful girl, beautiful personality
Planning Annie's senior photo session was something I had been looking forward to for awhile with Annie and her mom. I have known this amazing family since the oldest kids (who are now out of college) were just kids themselves and the babies were just babies. I remember always seeing Annie's bright smile and happy "hello" as she would greet us in church on Sunday mornings with her little blond curls bouncing right along with her. The years have flown by and now Annie is going to be a senior in high school!!
She is so grown up with so many plans of her own. I wish her the best as she embarks on her last year of high school!
Hartwood Acres, Pittsburgh PA
This summer has been very different for Pittsburgh. It hasn't been as warm and has been pretty rainy. The day of her session wasn't looking too good according to the weather report. However, we were all hopeful checking the weather app hour by hour that we would be ok to stroll the gardens and the mansion grounds of Hartwood Acres. Hartwood is beautiful because the cobblestone walkways offer a natural reflector to give her skin a beautiful glow and a very unique background with their gorgeous mansion windows. The gardens surprise me every year with the flowers and shrubs that pop up with their colors. There is such a great variety of landscape and backgrounds that allows for beautiful photos. This is a favorite spot for seniors because of the variety and is usually very busy. But we took a chance and because of the rain, we had the entire place to ourselves!! It was like a fairytale! I love Annie's enthusiasm and her carefree attitude really set the tone for a super fun and high energy session!
When it rains, you dance!
I LOVE that Annie was up for anything that evening! We were taking it hour by hour then minute by minute due to the rain. It wasn't just sprinkling, it was POURING. On the other hand, I know how much effort goes into getting ready for senior photos. Hair, makeup and outfit choices are all carefully thought out, not to mention the excitement of the session itself. We decided to give it a chance and meet at the park. By the time we got there, the skies had cleared a bit so we took it as the perfect opportunity to start in the garden. She was a natural at posing and having fun so we had a blast before the raindrops came down hard. Luckily for us, Hartwood has a beautiful outdoor covered venue that was perfect during the rain. It was pouring buckets and we joked as I kept saying "I think it's going to let up!!" But in the meantime, we made use of the covered area. My favorite helper (Aiden) turned on the party lights and they turned out to be some of the BEST pictures!! There was a lot of laughter (provided by her sisters) which resulted in natural smiles and LOTS of dancing!
Sometimes, living in the moment is the best!! Annie's photos turned out beautifully because SHE is beautiful on the inside and outside! Her personality really shines through adding that extra sparkle to her already gorgeous eyes. I know that she is destined to do great things and I wish her nothing but success and happiness. I hope when challenges arise, she looks back on this night with her mom and sisters and the laughs they had together, knowing that she can conquer anything! We didn't know where the night would take us with the rain but with faith and a few prayers, everything turned out beautifully!!
