I photographed Stephanie once before, but I have met her twice. The first time I met her, she came along to her sister Kristin’s senior session. You can see that session here.

They are both such sweet girls. Of course Kristin came to Stephanie’s session too, so I was able to see them both again!

The second time I met Stephanie was for a Halloween shoot. Both Stephanie and Kristin decided on an Amelia Earhart theme. Since their parents are really into vintage items, they had the bomber jackets, helmets and goggles to make the perfect vintage costumes. (And we all know I have a thing for dressing up.)

Ok, but now on to Stephanie. I loved photographing Stephanie because she was so excited that it was finally her turn. Some girls arrive and share how nervous they are, but not Stephanie. She bounded in the door and wanted to start immediately.

Vintage Vibes

We went to one of Sarah’s favorite places in Kalamazoo. It is a vintage building that looks like it could have been a school house or a distinguished residence. But we actually have no idea what was in this building. It’s on a busy road, and there is always heavy traffic nearby.  On this particular day someone happened to be in the driveway. The house is usually completely empty and abandoned.

We motioned to the person in the driveway, and he approached us. He told us that his uncle owns the property and that he would not be happy if he found us there. Basically he said that he lived up to the stereotype of a grumpy old man. He said, “Watch out for an old green van, because if you see it coming that means that he is here to scold you.”

Sure enough, just 30 minutes into the session an old green van pulls into the driveway. A man who looks like he’s around 90 years old gets out and asks us what we’re doing. We explained that we were taking photos. Sarah started to explain how much she loves the property and the house. She went on and on about how it was a shame that it wasn’t being used properly anymore. She inquired about its history and seemed to fall in love with this old man. They talked for quite a long time, while I started to photograph Stephanie again. By the end of this session the old man is so happy that we’re using his property for Stephanie. Sarah and the man were old-souls together and everyone lived happily ever after.

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