Class of 2020 Feature-Makenzie Valentine
A really great compliment is to see friends of my clients come in as referrals. One of my favortie compliments I can get, is to see the same family come in after I have photographed a previous sibling. Seeing families over and over again, and their legacy grow and continue, is a great honor to me. I cherish the relationship I get to build with them and I value that they trust me to give them another great experience. I was so excited to hear from Jessica, Makenzie's mom, about photographing her next daughter's senior portraits. However, we wanted to be different from her older sister’s session from just 2 years prior.
That is a challenge I love to take on.
Each senior really is a whole new opportunity to create something different and beautiful. When you have siblings, as those of you who have older and younger siblings know, you are each your own individual. That is how I go into each session with every senior. I want to showcase who they are, what they love, and bring out their own unique personalities. While most sessions start out at my home studio, we generally then travel to different locations. For Makenzie, we wanted to find a combination of urban and country. I loved the different looks she brought and props, like hats, that can be added quickly to change up a look.
Makenize had this to say about her senior session. “I had so much fun with the photoshoot. I remember being really nervous because I’m not the most photogenic, but they turned out better than I could have imagined! Carrie made it fun and made me feel comfortable even if I’m not used to being the center of attention.”
Makenzie is one of the lucky seniors. She got to finish up her final season of competitive cheer. “I had so many fun memories with the team and got to spend lots of time with people I wouldn’t normally spend time with.” She is super bummed about missing out on her last spring break, senior prom and the fact they are most likely not going to get to walk at graduation or have a graduation party. To add to missing the end of her senior year, her family also had to cancel many events leading up to her older brother's wedding!
She gets to stay in touch with her friends over FaceTime and Snapchat. Her advice to other seniors who are missing out right now? “It sucks, but this goes beyond us and what we want. People are dying and if I have to give up my senior year to help others stay safe and healthy, then it will be worth it.”
Makenzie plans to head to Xavier University in the fall and major in nursing. She tells the upcoming class of 2021 to not stress, the hardest part is over. At the same time, keep up with your classes as it will be a lot easier for you in the long run!
Apparently Makenzie is a HUGE Bob Ross fan and even has a bobblehead of him on her car dashboard. She also must like black cats, because she was one for 7 years in a row for Halloween! If Makenzie could have a super power, it would be to freeze time. “I’m always running late so this would help with that. Plus I’m not a morning person, so this way I could have more time in the morning to wake up!” Her spirit Animal would be a sloth because they are cool, and go with the flow kind of animals. Not many people think of them right away, but no one can say that they dislike them.
I love getting to know each senior, seeing how their senior year goes, and then where they head off to after graduation. Makenzie I wish you the best of luck at Xavier and my heart breaks for you and your classmates for the end of your senior year. I know that this trial will only make you guys stronger! Check out Makenzie's entire senior session in her video below!
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