The Glass is Full and Overflowing

Chelsea High School

Meet Alex. The first time I met her, she came to the studio with one of her best friends. It was pouring and the girls were stuck out in the rain looking for the door to the studio. It didn't matter that they were momentarily lost in the rain. It didn't get in the way of their smiles. During their session, Alex and Lilly laughed without reservation. I could tell that they are the close friends. As I got to know Alex better, I realized that she makes friends easily, and she has a lot of close friends. I can see why people want to spend time with her. She has a smile that can light up any room and a laugh that is contagious. But more importantly than that, Alex sees the world's glass as full, colorful and overflowing.

Alex's word to describe what she wanted for her session was elegant. It was a great choice. Alex has a grace and a style that is naturally elegant, but Alex's personality is too big and too fabulous to fit into the definition of a single world. She's also playful and fun and she has a style that is her own. She pulled out gorgeous and colorful necklaces to go along with all of her outfits. She loves color and texture and she isn't afraid of vibrant. You see it in her accessories, and you can see it in her personality too. She is not afraid to be herself. She's at ease with who she is and that kind of beauty is hard to replicate.

From the clothing to the jewelry to the fabulous shoes that held deep personal significance, everything about Alex's session reflected her own unique style. She smiled so much during her session that the muscles in her face got tired, so she laughed more and made funny faces to give her smile a break. (I promised I wouldn't post the picture.) We were walking through the gardens looking for the most beautiful and colorful flowers for her portraits, and all of the sudden we got caught in a sprinkler. What did Alex do? She laughed. She made the most of it, and she went right on smiling.

My favorite part of our time together was the last part of our session at the Law Quad in Ann Arbor. It was a cool evening and the wind was lightly blowing. We joked that nature was providing the perfect modeling fan to make her hair blow in the breeze. Her black dress and fabulous pink necklace did look elegant against the aged stonework of the building. Yet the word that I would use to describe Alex is not elegant, it is radiant. Her smile, her laugh and her playful spirit made the session with Alex time that I cherish. As all of her high school friends begin to go their separate ways, I am sure that many people are remembering the same things about Alex.

Alex you are ready for everything that the world sends your way. Dream your biggest dreams. May you feel elegant, confident and completely free to be yourself as you make the world your home. You are beautiful. Thank you for sharing your senior year with me.

Michelle Massey Barnes Photography
Shine Your Light