Some senior sessions are easy to plan because the senior is easy going but also has some ideas of what he wants.
Jacob’s was one of those.
Before we ever met for his session, we had a phone call with his mom, Becky, to talk through outfits, locations, and the things that mattered most to Jacob. That little bit of planning ahead meant we could spend our time during the session simply moving, exploring, and creating.
And we covered a LOT of ground.
We started downtown on Water Street at the Trestle Bridge, one of my favorite architectural spots in the area. From there, we worked our way through the Krause Gateway Center and the People.Inc courtyard, taking advantage of the architecture, landscaping, textures, and strong lines throughout the area.
Jacob also brought along some pretty important people: his mom, Becky, his dad, Bruce, and his older sister, Ella.
And Ella jumped into a few photos with him.
I call that a sibling win—especially when an older sister is willing to hop into her little brother’s senior pictures. ❤️
There is something really special about documenting those relationships alongside the senior photos. These images aren’t just marking Jacob’s senior year; they’re also marking the people who have been part of the journey to get him here.
And then we headed to the place where Jacob was most at home: the baseball field.
Jacob is a pitcher for Johnston High School, and his team had an incredible summer run that took them all the way to the big tournament before falling to Pleasant Valley in the quarterfinals. So naturally, we needed to end his session on the mound.
We used practically every square inch of the ball field we could find—the outfield, scoreboard, mound, dugout and stands. While some of his teammates were practicing batting nearby, we worked around the field and incorporated the sport that has been such an important part of Jacob’s high school experience.
It was hot.
It was muggy.
We were all sweaty by the end of it.
And Jacob was a trooper.
Bruce was also instrumental in making the ball field portion of the evening happen. He helped us get into the fields and was right there when we decided to try something a little more ambitious in front of the scoreboard.
I wanted Jacob up on top of the fence.
And that fence looked TALL.
So Bruce literally lent a shoulder.
Jacob climbed up, we got the shot, and then he made his way back down.
And that’s when I heard him mutter under his breath:
“That looked harder than it actually was.”
And I thought…
Yep.
There it is.
Isn’t that life sometimes?
Before we accomplish something, it can look so much bigger than it really is.
The first step feels intimidating. The challenge seems too high. We convince ourselves that something is going to be difficult before we’ve even tried it.
And then we get to the other side and realize:
Oh. I could do that.
I think that’s a pretty good lesson for a senior heading into his final year of high school.
Jacob has a full year ahead of him, with plans to continue playing baseball at the junior college level and possibly pursue finance or business. There are plenty of things ahead that may look bigger from the ground than they actually are.
So Jacob, I hope your senior pictures ended up being one of those things.
I hope they weren’t nearly as intimidating as you thought they might be.
I hope you had a little fun.
And I hope when you look back at these photographs years from now, you’ll remember not just the baseball field or the architecture downtown, but this particular season of life—and the people who were standing beside you in it.
Thank you for all the smiles you sent my way, Jacob—and thank you to Becky, Bruce and Ella for being part of the evening and helping make it such a fun one.
Best of luck with your senior year, Jacob, and whatever comes next.
I have a feeling you’ll discover that a lot of those things aren’t quite as hard as they look from the ground!
