I say all this because the tables have recently been turned on Taylor.  Instead of being on the giving end, Taylor is now finding herself on the receiving end of more attention than she ever dreamed of.  And, at the same time she won’t be able to just receive it, she will give it back just a quick.

Last week I got a call from Taylor’s god mother.  She told of migraine headaches Taylor was experiencing, which led to a battery of tests and an MRI which pointed to a softball sized mass on her right side lymph node.  The biopsy revealed lymphona.  The tumor was in 2 pieces and the largest part has been removed.  The second is a little more difficult to get at.  Chemo meds have started.  (This is where I pause for a moment, mind racing)

So, my role?  The reason for the call?  Taylor is wrapping up her junior year, looking forward to her big senior year.  Having her images done before powerful chemo treatments kick in is so important.

I can’t begin to tell you how honored I was to receive the call.  Taylor had her choice of any photographer out there and she chose me.  That is the coolest thing ever.

For her shoot I know she wanted city textures and some natural things.  I knew she would have her clothing all dialed in.  All of that is superficial though.  For me the biggest question was in representing a young woman during what should be a carefree part of life, but also wanting to give a glimpse into those eyes, showing a person contemplating life’s deeper meaning.  Images of smiling girls are great, and I wanted that for Taylor, but I wanted something else too.

We’ve had rain like crazy and Saturday afternoon finally cleared off and gave us perfect light.  I wanted to make the most of it.  We left my place at 3:00 with Taylor, her mom Chari, her god mother Diana and her awesome friend Karlie.  I want every session to be an awesome experience, but this one had to be rockin’.

We photographed around the city, took a break for some Punch Pizza then wrapped it up with some field images on the way back home.  It was a magical day with perfect light and wonderful people.

Images are in the can.  Taylor may have some war wounds from the battle ahead, but this moment, this special time in her life has been captured forever.

Terrific Taylor you will be in our prayers in the days ahead.

Sincerely,

BT   (aka….Brilliant Brian)

Katie is a person with mad skills in so many areas.  Was it the Greek? maybe the Romans? who said that if you have someone with only athletic skills they will turn into a barbarian.  The arts are there to keep us civilized.  Its true, really!  So Katie would have made an excellent Greek.  She plays soccer, she is a hurdler, is into weightlifting, and an all around athlete.  AND, she plays guitar, loves drawing, and volunteers.  She is so far ahead of where I was at as a junior, soon to be senior.  There is no chance of Katie going barbarian on us!

I love Katie’s outlook on life too.  She isn’t one to get caught up in a bunch of drama.  She is fun to be around and I really enjoy her.  I am really blessed with awesome ambassadors.

For her mini-shoot it was short & sweet.  She wanted city stuff with some industrial elements and something on the softer side too.  Great stuff.

A huge thanks to her dad for driving and being an awesome reflector holder.  I love getting to know the parents too!

Thanks so much Katie.  Enjoy your preview!

BT

Brittany is awesome.  She is outgoing and makes me laugh.  During our interview I learned that she likes 80s movies.  (I know!  Isn’t that cool?!?)  I’m thinking Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, all the uncomfortable teenage movies of my time….I mean, for people who are much older than me.  I’m still 29 after all!  This February was the 14th anniversary of my 29th birthday, but don’t tell any one.  Working with people like Brittany really helps to keep me young and not take life too seriously.

I also love that Brittany volunteers at Mercy Hospital and the Salvation Army.  I think all of us could use a reminder that the world doesn’t revolve around us, that we are here to serve others and make this world a better place.  Bravo Brittany!  This was a big factor in choosing her as an ambassador.

Many of you know that I’m a bicycle addict.  Since 3/16/12 I’ve biked almost 5,000 miles.  Brittany’s parents are also into biking big time.  Eventually Brittany will come to the dark side too, I’m convinced of it.  It is in her DNA.  It is her destiny!!!  (too much Darth Vadar?)

Brittany, thanks for your awesome work as an ambassador and for a fun time on location last week.  Enjoy your preview!

BT

So, I asked Sofie where she would like to be in 10-15 years.  I got the coolest answer ever.  She wants to be a Saturday Night Live cast member!  She is into theatre and is hilarious.  Everything clicked.  Her personality, her mannerisms, everything fit with what she shared.

As a photographer, working with someone like Sofie is a rare treat.  She has such a variety of expression and it takes very little work to draw it out.  This is exactly what she lives for.  It quite honestly doesn’t get any better than this.

Sofie, thanks for an awesome shoot.  Enjoy your preview!

BT

PS: A huge birthday call out to a very special person whom I miss dearly.

Kayla did a great job of pulling together all the details.  Hair was rockin, clothing choices worked really well with the locations we had in mind.  Great stuff all around.

The real challenge was in finding some tall grass to give that open field feel.  In Minneapolis the snow has matted down the grass from last season season and the new grass is barely showing.  Hmmm, how to create the illusion of a field of grass without a field of grass?

On East River Road just south of 694 there is a park along the Mississippi River.  August through the fall there is perfect grass to work with, natural grass vs. a wheat field.  In May?  The field was almost completely matted down….except for 1 area, about 5 feet wide and 3 feet deep.  Use a 200mm lens with a very selective view and we have the illusion of a field of grass. We hunted around but found what we needed.  All is well.

Kayla, thanks for a great session.  Enjoy your preview!

BT

It is usually at that point that I look at the mom, then I look at the senior, then back at the mom with my right eyebrow up and a big smile.  “Let’s see, this girl has a rockin wardrobe put together, hair is looking dynamite, she’s stinkin cute…. trust me, you’re going to look amazing.”

It happened before we started photographing Melissa, and truth be told, it happens before almost every photoshoot.  If we had a chance to ask celebrities and models if they get nervous, I’m willing to bet that 9 times out of 10 they feel exactly the same way.

As a photographer, one of the greatest things I can leave with the people I photograph is 1 simple thing.  You are made in the likeness of God, God didn’t make no mistakes and you are beautifully and wonderfully made.  God has given me a camera to help people see just how beautiful they are.  Very simple.

So, no need to worry.  Melissa and everyone else I have had the honor of photographing I’m here to tell you, you’re pretty awesome!

For Melissa, she wanted some city chic images and natural casual elements too.  Melissa has a really cool sense of style.  She has a great eye for patterns and textures.  I love that she brought a hat too.  I’m a sucker for hats.

We photographed on an absolutely perfect Sunday afternoon.  There was very little wind and we really made the most of it.  Having her mom & dad on the shoot was so much fun.  I always love hearing about the different things families do together.  Melissa’s family has done a ton of RV travel around the country which sounds awesome, especially when I get a dad’s perspective too.

Melissa, you rocked your session.  Way to go!  Enjoy your preview and I’ll see you guys tomorrow night!

BT

Lauren is easily one of the most optimistic, outgoing, and most genuine people I have ever met.  She loves life, loves people and is such a joy to be around.  When I choose ambassadors to represent Tice Photography, someone like Lauren is exactly who I’m looking for.  She is awesome.

In the summer we will have another session together, something in the city, something more sophisticated.  For this session however she wanted natural elements.  With the late spring we have had, the challenge was to pick up some interesting colors & textures even though nothing has turned green.

Grasses, regardless of the time of year are good for interesting lines.  Place your subject right and it can be like adding a giant exclamation point to the image.  Play with focus, with items blurred out in the background and/or foreground and extra drama can be added.  Or, if everything is in focus, the images become a giant mess.  Master your use of depth-of-field and you can rule the world.

A huge thanks to Lauren and her dad for a fun time on location.  Great job Lauren!  I’m looking forward to your summer session!

BT

Essentially we split her high school senior session into 2 mini sessions and got the best of both worlds.  We got some great variety with the country girl vibe and then some city stuff too, some with snow and some without.  Great stuff.

Thanks for a fun time together Megan.  Enjoy preview #2!

BT

One of the things I like most about Rebecca is her sense of style.  As prom images started popping up all over Facebook, hers were absolutely classic without being in any way outdated.  That is a fine line to balance.  25 years from now she will look back and say “yep, I nailed it!”

I love Rebecca’s approachable and genuine personality.  She never tries to be something that she isn’t, which is really refreshing.  She loves photography and has been watching my site for a long time.  At her interview she shared the details of many of my past sessions and I was blown away with her attention to detail.  These are all things I look for in an ambassador.

Rebecca, thanks for a fun time on location on Sunday.  Enjoy your preview.  I’m looking forward to your main session this summer.  Now go tell some people about Tice Photography! 

BT

In about a month Kallie will be graduating and heading off to college.  Being an only child, this is a pretty big deal at her house.  She is the first one to head out and the last.  Just like that her parents are empty nesters!  It is a very exciting time.

For Kallie’s session we worked in Minneapolis.  The first outfit demanded something with classic architectural lines.  I also wanted a sense that we were in the city.  Some depth to the images was important.  I really wanted these images to come alive, a sense of joy.

Kallie has awesome eyes and I wanted to capture the true color in her images.  No crazy post production Photoshop stuff that looks fake, just great light and true color coming through.

And the orange rusty door.  Blonde hair against that door is a great combo.  Yes I’ve used that door before, but I couldn’t resist.  I know the building is crumbling and will likely come down in the not too distant future.  So, I’m going to enjoy it while I’ve got it.  Blonde hair, blue jeans and black shirt are classic.  Love her expression.

Kallie, AWESOME job all around.  Enjoy your preview!

BT