Rustic Lebanon for senior portraits

I send out a questionnaire to my seniors so I can get an idea of their styles and how to prepare. This young lady knew exactly what she wanted and was very descriptive in what she liked, which was extremely helpful. So even though I had already scouted through Lebanon several times, I found myself making another special trip to look especially for “cute rustic” and “distressed color.”

You know how to a child with a hammer, everything looks like a nail? Well, if you’re on a mission for rustic in Lebanon, it’s everywhere. Behind buildings, in alleys, and off every slightly-less-beaten path. Paint is peeling, wood is wearing, and metal is rusting ever so photogenically. Don’t tell my homeowners’ association I said that.

My senior already had her outfits picked way ahead of when I sent her cell phone pics of what I found on my walks. But her dress matched the color backgrounds so well that it was rather uncanny.

Of course, she was the one who chose Lebanon, so she knew what it was like. I wonder if it’s possible she’s even more of a planner than I am?

Her mom was definitely out of my league when it came to planning. I “reminded” her to bring a hairbrush. I think she had at least four or five in a kit. And maybe four different hairsprays, dry shampoo, and who knows what else? She said it was her color guard kit, since her daughter was active in the marching band, and apparently, she is grooming an entire squadron of high school girls. The practice served her well, because it was windy, and my senior has what I privately in my mind think of as “Harvard Hair.” If mom hadn’t been standing five feet away ready to give her a brush and a spritz of hair product every few minutes, we would not have gotten nearly as many successful shots as we did.

Thanks, mom!

It was actually a full-family event, down to the dog. Dad came to wrangle the pooch, a gorgeous Golden Retriever. Sis came along to answer all my questions about their color guard and marching band while my senior got changed. And I never heard her heckle her sister. Not once. Big points for that.

Our senior really wanted to include the train tracks, and again, I confirmed both with the published schedule and the train station ahead of time that there would be nothing actively running near the time of our shoot. Safety and respect for private property, you know.

We got to the trains near the end of the session, which meant my senior had plenty of time to loosen up and show the fun side of her personality. I love that part in every senior session.