Why I Didn’t Want to Be a Spokesmodel
“One of my original concerns about joining the team was that I wouldn’t fit in with the other girls; however, now that I have bonded with the other girls and truly got to appreciate their personalities and beauty, I can say this is far from the case.”
Katie, Class of 2018 Sunnyslope HIgh School
I am often asked Why I do a Senior Team, and why I love working with High School Seniors so much. I can never put into words all the reasons why Seniors are my absolute favorite to work with, but my biggest WHY is watching them step into owning their unique beauty. For a lot of the girls, being on my Senior Team and taking part in the Styled shoots or even being in front of the camera for their own Senior portraits turns into a huge confidence builder for them. One of the girls on my team this year, Katie, is a gifted writer and I’ve asked her to share a little bit about her experience, especially since she was very honest with me about initially NOT wanting to be on my Team! It took a lot of convincing to get this girl to apply. I’m so glad she did! Read on for thoughts on life as a Spokesmodel (part of my Senior Team!) and to see her gorgeous images from her own Senior Portraits!
“I first heard about the opportunity to be a spokesmodel through my childhood friend Sarah, who is a year above me. I adored her senior pictures and had heard great things about her experience; but when it came time to apply, I was turned off by the idea, scared of branching out of my comfort zone. I felt my individual character didn’t fit my previous connotation of what I assumed a “model” to be. However, with a little push from my mom and Sarah’s family, I applied to become a spokesmodel for Sandi- a choice that would greatly impact my outlook on life and change my own perception of myself.
The spokesmodel experience not only includes receiving your own custom senior portraits tailored to reflect your unique personality, but it also gives you an opportunity to participate in various styled shoots with other girls on the team. One of my original concerns about joining the team was that I wouldn’t fit in with the other girls; however, now that I have bonded with the other girls and truly got to appreciate their personalities and beauty, I can say this is far from the case. Sandi does an amazing job at creating an environment where every girl feels uplifted and valued for who they are. I have loved going to our events where we continue to create friendships among us, and I look forward to all the (remaining) shoots!
So far I have participated in three shoots (one being my own senior portraits) and each one has acted as a platform for me to open up and learn how to express myself through photography. I am certainly much more comfortable in front of the camera now than I was before. One aspect I really loved was getting my hair and makeup done, along with being able to dress up to fit a certain style of a shoot. My favorite shoot has definitely been the Red Dress Shoot because it truly allowed me to embody a character so different from myself.
For anyone considering joining the team, I would highly encourage you to embark on this journey of discovering new friends and building self-confidence. The lessons I have learned about myself through this experience has positively bled into other facets of my life, and I am so grateful to have taken apart in this adventure!”
These young women blow my mind with their insight and perspective. Every single year I get the privilege of working with them and seeing them for who they are. Seriously, I have the best job. Ever. Want more information on joining the Senior Team for Class of 2019? Applications are open through January 31, 2018. And I still have a handful of Session dates open for Class of 2018, if you want more information, drop me a note on my Contact form or take a look through my calendar to Book your Session!
