I often get asked what the Dream Team is, why I do it, and what I get out of it. What originally started as a business marketing tool, has blossomed into a chance for me to connect with young adults in our community and see them turn into amazing people who are following their dreams!
I came up with the name "Dream Team" because of basketball. I love the game of basketball, and have my entire life. I played when I was younger, in high school, and then for 2 years at Albion College. I still play any chance I get(Hello to a 3 on 3 tournament with my sisters this summer!! WOOT WOOT). In high school, towards the end of the season, when All State teams were being selected, our local newspaper would do a "Dream Team" with the schools in our league. They would pick girls from each schools team and construct the ultimate Dream Team. This is where the teams name originated from.
What my dream team has turned in to is a community for these kids to come together, and feel like they are a part of something. To give back to their community and help each other grow. I choose girls based on an application process and if they stand with the visions and mission of this group. When they become a part of it, I make sure to not only give them amazing photo sessions they won't get anywhere else, but also times to get together, hangouts, and to do some volunteering!
My class of 2017 is just getting started in their Dream Team experience. We had our first mini sessions(details on that coming soon!) in Jan and Feb, and last month we did our first Stylized Event. When you are on the Senior Dream Team, you get 2 stylized events(as well as other fun perks), that start the end of your Junior Year and go throughout your entire Senior Year.
Our first event I gave my girls two options for the theme. They chose what I like to call "water flowers". They each picked a flower or color they liked and I came up with clothing and makeup ideas for each of them. When I do these different events, especially if I try something different, I always take portraits outside of the main theme, so the girls have both.
We first started by taking some photos outside of each girl:)
After we did these photos, we started the "water" part of the session. If you could have seen my husband and I filling up this inflatable pool in my studio with buckets of water from the laundry room, you would have thought I was crazy! I wanted to make sure we had amazing light and couldn't guarantee that outside was going to give that to me:) So in studio we went.
The pool got filled up, but then we went outside to do the other photos. My girls were TROOPERS let me tell you, because that water got COLD real quick! They all stuck it out and we captured some amazingly awesome photos!
Here are some of my favs from each girl and their water series. And don't leave just yet..there is a slideshow at the end that goes through ALL of the pics:) Be sure to check them out and leave some love for them!!
A huge shoutout to J. Alexander Florist for some amazing flowers and silk flowers to use during this shoot! Please check them out for any floral needs HERE
Class of 2017 Dream Team Spring Event
Here are all of the images from our first event with the Class of 2017 Dream Team
0 Comments