I’m not sure how we got to this point. Our first born, forever my baby girl, is graduating from college in less than two months. Insert a ginormous sigh here, along with mutterings of “it was just yesterday…” trailing off as I get lost in a wave of memories. Time has no pity on a mother’s heart.
Since my darling daughter has a hearty dislike of having her portrait taken, I thought it best to let Rachel take charge of organizing her shoot. We recently met up in Seattle on a Sunday afternoon, and while the weather down south was pouring buckets, we gladly took the overcast skies. Our session started out at the Beetles graffiti wall across from the original Dick’s Drive-In location on NE 45th Street. Over the last four years, we’ve eaten a few good burgers there.
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I watched her stroll down the sidewalk in mock unison with the Beetles. There were some TKD moves, and eventually, she resorted to dancing. It was fun to just hang back and let her do her thing.
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Around the corner, we found another brightly decorated fence. Perfect backdrop for her shredded jeans and Converse!
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Then, we were off to UW. I’m so glad the cherry blossoms in the Quad were still in full bloom!
A photography session at UW would’t be the same without capturing a little glimpse of that gorgeous architecture.
It was tempting to get distracted by all of the lovely things blooming around campus, but it was time for another outfit change.
A huge part of Rachel’s college life has revolved around ROTC. So, in addition to an upcoming graduation, she will be commissioned as a 2nd Lt. in the Air Force. Her dad is a retired Air Force pilot, so now they have this flight suit in common. She’s scheduled to attend Initial Flight Training later this year.
Rachel gets total credit for the idea behind the next two shots. This is her “dream bar” (2nd Lt. rank) tucked into the fold of her flight cap and the Prop and Wings pin she earned when she graduated from field training.
She also wanted to showcase her Detachment 910 T-shirt.
Another outfit change later, and we walked down to the Drumheller Fountain.
Accessories are an easy way to bring an outfit together and add some fun detail. This pendant necklace was the perfect addition to Rachel’s look.
This last shot in front of the iconic Suzzalo Library, sums up for me what has been twenty-two years in the making. Now she stands ready to put one chapter of her life behind her and looks forward to where life’s journey will take her next. Know that you go out into this big world with the heartfelt love and support of your family.
