Happy.Monkey: Senior Pictures

The excitement is mounting. I feel my face glow with pride every time someone asks me what grade I'm in and I happily tell them, "I'm a senior!" I feel a slightly flagging motivation in my studies, known to many as "senior-itis." A hint of spring wafts through the air.

Graduation. Is. Coming.

I don't know how it is possible for those for syllables to be so packed with meaning.

Graduation:
Uncertainty.
Anxiety.
Sadness.
Joy.
Nostalgia.
Excitement.
The past.
The future.

See what I mean? The word has so many things associated with it; it makes my stomach turn flip flops and somersaults, like it has a mind of its own.

One of the primary reasons it's been on my mind lately, is because I finally was able to snap my senior portraits! (I know, we're a bit behind compared to most, but we've been putting it off for a while.)

We went through an independant photographer that the Coffins referred to us. I told him I wanted them to be, "Natural, but somewhat urban." So we went up to a few locations near a mall on the north side of town.

The first location was at a bus stop and I wasn't sure with the background, but it was definitely interesting. With vibrant blue benches and purple tile.

This selection of pictures definitely leans toward the more candid ones. I like a lot of these photos and I think some of them portray my personality particularly well, but for one reason or another, I may not use them for the invitation. We shall see.

The photographer took over 300 pictures, so there are a lot to choose from! A lot of them can be eliminated for one reason or another (lots of ones with my eyes closed!) But, I still haven't chosen which one will be on the graduation announcements.

Although, I appreciated the whimsy of the purple background (Love that word--whimsy!) it just wasn't working with the dress. I was much happier with the second location.

Outfit #2:

I could not resist wearing my new favorite color: purple! I originally had a lovely, lavender sweater that I wanted to wear, but it was SO warm out, I decided to skip it.

Outfit #3

The third location required another drive to a place under a bridge. It was a much more industrial location than I would have chosen, but I actually think these pictures are among my favorites.