Hailey warned me right up front that she wasn’t particularly comfortable having her picture taken. And I totally get that. I’m not either–that’s why I like to be the photographer. But Hailey was willing to do the session for the love of her family, and she even put on a cute dress for the occasion, even though she’s not necessarily super-girly in her personal style.

What surprised me was how natural she looked in front of the camera. From the first shot (that wasn’t a lighting test), she looked completely at ease and confident. She didn’t give me any contrived selfie-trained expressions, but just unaffected, good-humored smiles. I was afraid that she was going to run out of positive energy before sunset, but she is a seasoned performer, disciplined for hours of rehearsal in the marching band color guard, and also in a high-level choir. And so she is very used to presenting herself well, even though her natural inclination might not to be to spend her first free Sunday afternoon in months staring down the lens of my camera.

She spent the first half hour in the dress, during which she fulfilled all the wishes of her mother and grandmother (and let’s just admit it, the photographer, because I’ve been shooting an unusual predominance of senior guys this season). Then I let her switch to her jeans and swingy cardigan. Downtown Lebanon has, sadly, been replacing all my lovely weathered background textures with fresh paint jobs and new siding. And some of my favorite urban decay spots have been fenced off, although I realize that it was probably for everyone’s protection. But the train was still there, shut down for the rest of the season, and we found a comfortable old tree to take a picture with her dog, whom her faithful dad had been walking while we took pictures. (The puppy was perhaps not as adept at following posing instructions as his mistress, relying on his good looks to get by at this time. The bridge is still a great place to get a woodsy background only a few steps away. I felt that Hailey looked at most home here, with the trees and running creek below.

Then we made the trip to her high school, where she has spent countless hours on the asphalt and in the band stand. The field is beautifully positioned to enjoy the sunset from the bleachers, and we saw the moon rising as well. The beautiful sky was a gift from God, as well as the warm afternoon–57 degrees, sandwiched between the cold bluster of the previous day and freezing rain and snow the next afternoon. And Hailey’s cheerful cooperation was a true gift as well. I think her mother and grandmother could not have asked for anything more from her.