Driftwood at the beach? Peeking out from behind a tree? Standing on the train tracks? A brick wall in a graffiti alley? Are any of those things what being 18 is all about? It's been a while, but I distinctly remember spending approximately zero of my time as a high school senior standing on train tracks. You're going to be stuck seeing these pictures of yourself on your Aunt's fridge for years, let's take pictures that show something of what you're really like.

Senior Pictures aren't to show what you looked like when you were 18 - that's what the camera on your phone is for - Senior Pictures are to show what you ARE like. Let's take some pictures you can find in the back of a drawer 10 years from now that show how fun and ridiculous and dangerous and hopeful and exciting your life was your Senior year of High School.

Being 18 is fun.

What are you actually into? Who do you dream of becoming? Let's take those pictures! Don't worry, we'll get some serious-looking shots too, but let's actually capture your personality a little!

“Never look back, darling.
It distracts from the now."

- Edna Mode

Pointing out that babies are spectacularly messy isn't going to be news to anybody who has ever spent time around little kids. For years I used to be a nanny and it was always weird to me when I would wander around the living room and see all these perfect little framed pictures of this perfect-looking little girl, with the bow in her hair and the little white dress.....then I would look across the room at that same girl trying to see how many green beans she could stuff in her ear. (Normally it was two or three green beans. Mine was a somewhat permissive, accomodating nannying style)

10% of the time, our kids really are these perfect, tidy little angels. But the other 90%, they're these stinky, gorgeous, unruly, booger-y, garbage monsters, who are somehow, at the same time, absolutely perfect in every way.

Babies are chaotic.

So here's my proposal; let's take the perfect, pretty pictures of everyone looking like they just dropped out of a baby food advertisement. But let's ALSO get pictures of the other 90% of the time. Let's take, and display, pictures of kids in all their messy, sloppy, green-peas-in-the-ears glory.

“Sometimes honesty
can be incredibly messy."

- William P. Young