Spring Senior Session at Julia Davis Park | Olivia

I don’t remember if Olivia was wearing her trademark shiny pink pants when I first met her at a Bible quiz meet some years ago. But whichever meet it was, I certainly didn’t forget her after that! I love the camaraderie of all the teens on our district, and my team and I have enjoyed spending time with Olivia and her teammates at our monthly meets. I was elated when her mom asked me to photograph her senior pictures! Like, duh, I love photographing people, but it’s extra special when it’s someone I know and like.

Olivia is so sweet and full of personality. Once she was quoting her dad when she told us, “If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bull.” Another time, while waiting for a round to finish, one of the coaches was discussing super-saturated solutions and Oliva spoke for most all of us when she exclaimed, “I don’t want to think about this!” I agree, none of us should be subjected to advanced chemistry when we’re trying to quiz, lol.

Anyway, it was a sunny spring day in Boise when I met up with Olivia and her mom at Julia Davis Park just before Easter. She also brought along her dog, Jesse. He was very well-behaved but we let him take it easy after a few pictures. Although there were a lot of people in the park, we had fun walking from place to place without a strict agenda.

I was really excited to find this one particular flowering tree. Trees can be tricky to photograph. Once they’re big and full, they’ve grown so tall that most of the branches are above head height. All you see in a photo is the trunk. But this tree was down off to the side of a raised sidewalk, making the blossoms easier to photograph. Bonus points: the flowers were the same color as Olivia’s pink top. Win, win! We came back to the same tree toward the end of the session when the light was even more glowy. It was absolutely magical!

For her outfits, Olivia wore a lacy pink blouse and jeans, a white and green floral sundress, and a solid black dress. She also brought a black leather jacket that she paired with the sundress for a few photos. I thought it made for a nice contrast, adding a bit of edge to the delicate, feminine dress. We also took some photos with her black cap and gown. I didn’t plan it this way, but by that time, the afternoon sunlight lit up the trees’ new leaves and it brought out the golden yellow in her honor cords and tassel.

Olivia, thank you for allowing me to celebrate this milestone with you and your family! We’ll miss you, but I’m so excited for you and I hope you have a blast at Olivet next year! I didn’t mention it at the time, but this day was my photography business’ anniversary, and I feel incredibly blessed to have spent it with you and your mom!