Senior portrait session - braili lopez pt.1

Yesterday, I had the great pleasure and genuine honor of shooting Miss Braili Lopez for the first part of her senior photo sessions. Braili is the daughter of one of my favorite supervisors, Janet Montes, with whom I had the privilege of working during my time at Verizon Wireless, specifically at the old location on 1820 S. Valley Mills—which, by the way, is no longer there. However, the cherished memories, lasting friendships, and the sense of family I gained from that place will live on forever in my heart. So, when I received the call to do this session, you better believe I eagerly accepted without hesitation. The moment I found out that the shoot would take place at Staple, I knew right away that it was going to be an incredibly fun and memorable day. Arriving around 4:30 pm, we had a perfect window of soft natural light to capture some truly stunning shots. Once golden hour arrived, the magic was absolutely undeniable. One thing that really stood out to me during this session, of course, was the presence of the horses. Being around a horse up close and personal for the very first time was an unforgettable experience. They are enormous and definitely intimidating in real life, but I recalled my good friend Kadette Fossum advising me to remain calm and peaceful around them because horses can sense when you’re uneasy—and I certainly didn’t want to give off the wrong energy. Something a bit unexpected and, frankly, kind of gross that I learned firsthand is that horses don’t bother to warn you when they need to use the bathroom—they just go! Overall, the shoot was incredibly fun, exciting, and rewarding. Braili was utterly majestic and a joy to work with, and I truly believe the photos we captured are a beautiful testament to that.