Meet Garrett.
This kid and I go way back. I think that is one of the BIG things that I love about my job. I have been able to photograph so many people that I have known personally and watched them grow up. It is always mind-boggling when I get a phone call asking me to take their senior photos.
Now. There are a few things that you need to know about Garrett, I don't usually give much information about my clients, but Garrett is different. In more ways than one. He is one of my best friend's brother and I consider him family, he loves trains - Thomas the Tank to be specific, - his favorite movie is currently Dumbo and Garrett has Autism.
This poses as a challenge because he poses. – Woah. That sounded odd. I don't like "poses" because it is very unnatural. I firmly believe that many people are tortured by cameras as children and the end product is that horrific smile you get when you mutter the word "cheese." Who came up with that anyway? I despise that phrase - and that smile. And Garret is notorious for his twisted smile of "pain."
My challenge was to get him to have a natural smile.
It took locking* his mom in the house, one photographer and two assistants, but we did it!
*No moms were harmed in the making of this photoshoot.