Pebblebrook High School Senior Session Part 1 – Roswell Mill – Brinkley

When I first met Brinkley and her mom in a Starbucks in the Towne Lake area, I was so excited. Because they were excited.

I love working with high school seniors. Especially when their family is so pumped about this last year of high school and all of the upcoming opportunities of LIFE that is headed their way. Brinkley has been dancing since she was two years old and playing the violin since she was three. She knew she wanted to incorporate both of these passions into her senior session, but also have fun and be herself. She knew she wanted to go to Roswell Mill for part of her session. And she dreamed of making photographs on the beach to also celebrate her senior year of high school. Done. And done.

We put her Roswell Mill session on the calendar for a couple weeks later and blocked off a week at the end of June for the gulf of Mexico. She knew she’d be there with her family for a dance competition, but didn’t have her schedule yet. I blocked off the week and as we got closer to the date, we tentatively scheduled an evening on Panama City Beach to finish her senior portraits. I’ll share those images in a separate post. And the highlights from Roswell Mill in this post.

Brinkley’s parents came along and we all survived a sweltering morning of humidity and intense hiking on the trails to make it to the bottom of the waterfall and then back up. Her mom was a phenomenal lighting assistant who made blue skies in photographs possible when the sun was high in the sky. Brinkley pulled out killer dance moves showing incredible control, talent, and skill. At one point, she tumbled down a hill and landed on her feet with only a few scuffs. She continued on like a true professional with a fabulously positive attitude open for fun and trying new things.

As we were moving between spots, I made this photograph of Brinkley. More for myself than anything I had initially intended to share. It was a moment I didn’t want to forget. A musician. An athlete. A ballerina. Walking through the woods in flip flops with her violin and pointe shoes in hand. Wearing a black tutu. It was an in-between moment that I decided to leave in and I’m glad I did. She and her parents loved it!

Brinkley’s senior session continues in this blog post highlighting her photographs on the beach!