It was my senior picture day circa summer 1997. I had never been one to follow all the trends so I went in armed with my wardrobe and a few inspiration images. The session went well, but I put my foot down about one thing…

Large foam numbers. 

As trends come and go, large foam numbers of the graduating year were a popular prop in many studios. I was adamant, I did not want to use anything resembling large foam numbers. I know when I graduated and I don’t need a big 97 in the picture to remind me. 

My photographer thought he knew better. He finally conceded on the big ones but insisted, at the very least, to set a small one by me for a few images. In those images, my face might have had a nice soft smile, but I was not happy on the inside. And guess what, they were my least favorite images. 

I ask my seniors to trust me, take risks with me but I cannot fathom insisting they do something they don’t care for. After 10 years in business I make it a practice to ask questions, listen and try to accommodate. 

Many of my clients come armed with ideas, Pinterest boards and screenshots. It is then my task to use those ideas as inspiration for the session. Some clients are open to ideas and are willing to let me guide the session. Either way, my goal is to produce timeless images to commemorate senior year. But the one prop I don’t own is foam numbers.