In the last blog, I talked a little about my desire to shoot beautiful subjects in beautiful locations. But the second half of this, was two fold. Every time I have gone off exploring on my own (6 weeks in Europe, 8 weeks in Australia/New Zealand) I meet many young girls (18-23 years old usually) out exploring with me, also solo. I am in love with these cultures that are not only unfazed by the idea of these (considerably) young people out traveling abroad, but that they encourage it. I feel as though in our area, if an 18 year old came up to their mom, or any other “adult” and said “I’m going to go to Europe, alone, for the summer, or the YEAR”… they would be shot down immediately. We have a customary timeline of events that we have placed on our American society that says “graduate high school, go to college, get a job, get married, have a family”, and anything outside of that is looked at as “less than ideal.”

I spent many years thinking I’d done something wrong. I did what was right, I graduated high school and college in an acceptable time… but then nothing else fell into place. I had to make my own way, with my own decisions and finances. My first solo trip was when I was 29 and freshly laid off from a job, and homeless (long story short, that’s what happens when you work for the apartment complex that houses you, and they lay you off and give you a 10 day deadline to move out due to foreclosure). And in 6 weeks I saw London, Rome, Athens, Geneva, Heidelburg, Madrid, and Paris, on $1800. I know that’s not a flash in the pan, and that my methods of travel were less than deluxe, but it gave me this desire to help other young people believe in themselves enough, that if they want to see the world, it’s out there, and attainable.

So this is why I do what I do. This is why 4 beautiful Michigan teens (and their moms) got to go to Paris and Barcelona for their senior session. You do not need a man to explore outside the box. But if you’re not ready to go it alone, give me a call… I’m ready to start planning the next one. Now… meet my favorite city. If I ever go missing, this is probably the first place you should look 😉

The best joke? Wow! From Ginger. It could mean anything good, bad, sarcastic. It worked for any situation. WOW! – Chris (Abby’s Mom)

The last night in Barcelona, when we got tapas which consisted of cured meats and A LOT of cheese. So good. – Claire

There was an on going joke about Hanna and her 147 years of French,
but I loved when Missy opened herself up to 3 days of joking about her extensive Spanish vocabulary and knowledge,
when she said “Gracias” to that nice French man in the Paris train station. – Leslie

The mom’s decided after a couple days to pose for our own shots.
We chose a spot along the Seine in Paris, a jungle gym in Barcelona and Park Guell in Barcelona.
We counted 1, 2, 3 just like Leslie does for the girls. Our shots were not quite the same!
We couldn’t move fast enough and I was laughing too hard to change positions. – Chris (Abby’s Mom)

For sure my favorite ”wow” moment was the first night in Barcelona when the sun was setting and it looked like a scene straight out of my dreams. Yeah, it’s cliché, sue me. – Claire

I think my favorite look and location combo was Claire’s pink skirt outfit with her sunglasses,
hair, and the graffiti backgrounds. It was so cool and the pictures turned out awesome! – Hanna

I think my favorite location was on the beach and the view of the Mediterarriam Sea. Amazing. – Ginger (Hanna’s Mom)

I LOVED the Mediterranean Sea. The weather was so beautiful that day and I was so happy to just play in the sand and the waves with the moms.
I will never forget that day. – Hanna

Last day in Barcelona at the Park. The girls had such different outfits and they all worked so perfectly
with the different colors and backgrounds the park offered. – Missy (Olivia’s Mom)

My favorite wow moment was definitely the walk before the entrance to the park in Barcelona. The view of the city was absolutely breathtaking. – Hanna

Barcelona at the Park Guell was a great spot to shoot pictures.
So many different backgrounds from mosaic tile benches, beautiful pillars and the gardens.
Wonderful to sit down and look out over the city to the Mediterranean Sea. – Missy (Olivia’s Mom)

Our last dinner in Barcelona. I had been looking forward to it for weeks before we even left!
Tapas, cheese, meats, olives, drinks, eating outside on a beautiful night with no mosquitos on Las Ramblas!
A waiter with 16 abs, 0% body fat, and a skill at flirting, when gratuities are included, was just an added bonus! LOL. – Leslie

Olivia on our way into the park. That jumper, with that hair (one of my finest, if I do say so myself…but Claire’s updo in Paris with the red skirt was equally as sweet!),
and the insane hole in the rock, was a killer find, and nothing I had ever dreamed of coming across! – Leslie

Favorite spot? Hands down, Park Guell. It just felt like I belonged there.
I had been longing to go there and I wasn’t disappointed when I showed up and literally loved EVERY aspect of it. – Claire

Every moment was special, but seeing the pictures and the amazing videos for the first time was….. WOW. – Ginger (Hanna’s Mom)