urban exploring- a port huron senior session

Every great session forms from a story. It's how your session is built.
Except this one. This one starts out with a quick phone call and the rest is history.
Meet John, the typical guy who is forced in to this Senior Picture business by his mom. Never mind the fact John looks like he’s about to walk off and start his Calvin Klein career any day now, he just wasn’t interested.

So mom calls me and says no need to meet to chat, I trust you, he’ll probably let us do 2 outfits, that’s it, let’s do this as soon as possible, I'll wait to hear from you on location.
So I have no story to go off of, and my creativity sprouts from stories, until I hear- ok, thanks, see you soon, oh, and by the way, my son and his friends like to explore abandoned buildings.
And THAT is where this session finally starts.

NONE of us want to go and do something we’re not in to, so it’s my top priority to make sure this session it’s laid back, it’s fun, it’s cool, and it speaks to him. 

So abandoned buildings speaks to him… hmm… ok. Well, I’ve also spent some time in some pretty sketchy places, so I felt like I could understand that language.

I decided to take them here- an over grown railroad track that curves between 2 abandoned buildings on the back side of downtown that comes complete with weird doors that lead to god only knows where and even weirder noises that make you question why you’re there, and still not leaving.
We had a blast. I don't know if mom ever stopped smiling as she watched her son take his first steps in to adulthood, and me and my assistant couldn't get enough of their laid back personalities while we took a session with hardly no planning and watched it grow in to such an awesome collection. Every turn brought something new, a new color, a new backdrop, new light, and new reasons for us to still not understand why this guy looking like a model didn’t want to do this in the first place! 

See his final story as a high school senior here :

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Check out our Full Senior Gallery!

If you like this edgy urban look check out Nik's Senior Session!

For more senior guy fashion check out Troy's Senior Shoot!

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Vintage Love at the Port Huron Train Depot- Engagement

The moment I met Erica I knew I liked her. Her hair was a washed out pink and her personality filled the room. She was fashionable, adorable, and fabulously organized with her notes being color coded and divided by category. She seems to always be happy and excited, which makes the day better. I met her hubby to be, Cory, a few weeks later and he's the perfect match for her. Fashionable, handsome, and friendly. And he wore suspenders. I'm a sucker for men in suspenders.
Getting these two together in front of the camera couldn't have been easier. They just... flowed. There was never a moment where we struggled to get them to connect with each other. They are totally connected and in love. 
We are ecstatic to be photographing their wedding next year! I can only imagine the day! As you can tell their engagement session was already over the top. 
I told them to come up with a story about their love. They brought me this. 
A beautiful young flapper meets a handsome gentlemen quite like Jack from Titanic at the Train Depot when she drops her scarf and he returns it to her. They enter the train strangers and leave soul mates. 
Watch as we tell their love story through photographs. 

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Check Out Our Full Lovers Gallery!

Check out Casey & Evan's Coffee Shop Love Story!

Check out the adorable Troy & Blair's engagement photoshoot!

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Cut the tags out- knowing your self worth as a woman and not a number

A couple days ago I stumbled across this post on my facebook newsfeed, which I quickly shared to my personal page. 

Found on facebook- original source unknown

I paired it with my thoughts that were similar to "this is really stupid for a lot of reasons." Mostly because I felt as though this chart was completely unrealistic on every level. 

I got A LOT of feedback. 

Things like-

"And what the hell were they thinking when they added ZERO as a size? Are we supposed to aim for invisibility?!"

" ...Even at a size 12 I never had the flat tummy that this image shows. But, I also know my worth and it has nothing to do with my pants size nor the number on the scale. ...I've struggled with my body image for years until I realized I was more than just a body. I'm witty, well read, an amazing cook/baker and driven woman which is something a number on a label or scale is never going to say."

and lastly-

"Cut the tags out..."

And then it hit me.  We, as a society, as women, as individuals need to cut the tags out. 

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So I ask you- When you're no longer a number, what are you?
I want you ALL to answer that question in the comments below for me. 
Because you owe it to yourself to know, to maybe brag a little, be proud, and most importantly, let other women know you're living outside the number society has pinned on you, and they can too. 

Who are you when you cut the tags out?

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I'll start...

When I cut the tags out I'm left with being an artist. I frequently live my life dirty. Paint, dirt, dust, grease, sawdust...  I'm an explorer, a writer, a builder, and a damn hard worker. I will keep up with the boys. I will drink beer with the boys. I will shop with the girls but I refuse to get my nails done because they will end up destroyed at soon as I get home. I have a farmer's tan and yes I own a baby tractor. My closet consists mostly of super cheap clothes because I don't understand name brands. My hairdresser informed me that my husband and I have the same haircut, and I'm ok with that, because my hubby is super hot, so maybe that makes me super hot too. I have no clue how to be sexy, it makes me uncomfortable and giggly. I'm confident because my mom taught me to be proud of who I am and urged me to be different. And that had nothing to do with tags. Cut them out. 

And as I said before in The Revolution about societies standards on women ...

Fuck your beauty standards

Port Huron, Michigan Photographer specializing in the beauty of women- ajbc photography

making memories to enjoy 70 years from now

   There’s nothing quite like a bond between a grandma and granddaughter. Capturing the simple moments in life to look back on years down the road seem like a great idea now, but 20 years from now, 40 years from now, maybe 70 years from now for your grandchild… the word “great” will be an understatement. You and they will truly cherish the ability to look back on a younger version of yourselves and how connected and happy you were at that moment.

   Angela wanted to capture exactly that in a way that was truly them. When they get together they spend time at the beach, and just enjoy each other. So that’s exactly what we did here. We went to the beach, and just… lived, freely and beautifully, so they could look back on those moments for years to come.

Port Huron, Michigan Family Photographer- Beach Session