JDP senior Mykayla

JDP senior Mykayla is split between life in Virginia and life back in Ohio where  she went to high school prior to her family’s move.  She attends Tri State Stem school so she can focus on the sciences to help prepare her for her dream career –to be a marine veterinarian.  With a 4.0 it’s clear this girl sets her mind to something and makes it happen!  Currently Mykayla travels back by train to attend school half in person and half virtually.  She loves her high school and the fun and supportive environment there, so the trip is worth it!  And apparently their dances are off the hook–like the dances we had back in the 80s!

Mykayla’s outdoor part of her session was rained out and since the family was traveling quite a bit to reach us, they had decided to stay in a hotel overnight to make an adventure of it all.  And adventure they got!  Mykayla came back the next morning since skies were projected to be clear so we could create outdoors for a bit…well not only did the skies not clear, but they gave way to rainy ones again and the grounds around our pond became a mud pit.  As we were wrapping up our rainy time, the skies cleared and Mykayla was undeterred and plowed forward with the walking into the pond portrait she was hoping for!  We did have to pry her crocks out of the mud with an umbrella!  A girl with a sense of adventure and willing to do whatever it takes to bring a vision to reality–that’s my kind of girl!;)

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So we decided to make the best of it and create away.  You can see evidence of the rain that was coming down on us in the portrait below, dripping off the umbrella mom was holding over her!

Mykayla wants to be a marine vet, but she’s also an artist in her core.  She sings, acts, draws, calligraphy and paints.  She also played soccer for 11 years, but it’s the arts that have captured her heart in a love affair that will be with her all the days of her life.  She’s been singing since she was a little girl and has never stopped.  She’s been trained by a professional…her dad who toured in the country music scene years ago and gave it up to be present for Mykayla’s childhood.  Mykayla sings it all–jazz, pop, rock, musicals.  She aspires to perform professionally as well. Protective Mom and Dad have concerns about that, having been steeped in that world for a while, but they love watching her perform.

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And this girl is no stranger to performance.  She’s in show choir and has secured the lead in her school’s theatrical productions 4 years in a row!  She even secured the lead in her first production ever, a pirate musical about a princess who drops her everyday life to become a pirate and fight.  Currently the cast is holding zoom rehearsals for a Freaky Friday production and really hopeful to be able to have a live performance in their future!  Mykayla is the Linsdey Lohan character and loving it!

Portraits are all about legacy, what we leave to the next generation so that when we are gone they have something to hold onto.  This necklace is part of Mykayla’s legacy from her cherished grandmother.   We recreated a portrait similar to one her grandmother had created when she was young to honor her grandmother’s memory.

Mykayla, when she can fit it in, is an avid reader as well.  She’s a big fan of Poe and that ties right in with her love of Halloween!  She’s all about the costuming and the creative flair for her life.  It’s clear she adores transporting herself in time and space with her pursuits and her creations.  This is part of why she described wanting her portraits to be different and capture her love of the arts–my sweet spot as a creative as well!  When a client is unabashed in their love of creativity and wanting to create in ways that reflect their heart’s passions…awesomeness is bound to erupt.  And how fitting for this girl who places her all into whatever she is pursuing in life.

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Speaking of transporting in time, I love that we had a segment which felt as though it could have been pulled from her mom’s senior portrait time as well!  We just skipped through the generations with joy!

I was so impressed by Mykayla’s ability to take on a variety of looks throughout her session.  I dubbed her portrait below her Parisian model segment!

And here’s where we see her dramatic flare that has characterized all her time spent performing on stage.  We saw her channeling a bit of Liz Taylor in this segment in our vintage gown. 

And a shout out to her love of Halloween!  I swear this could be a 1950’s movie poster!

We ended in the water and under it to create this stunner!  Mykayla’s banded bamboo shark will love this one! Mykayla it was such a joy to create with you and for you!  The world is in desperate need of your enthusiasm for life and your kind soul–continue to make amazing wherever you go! Click here to contact us about your own custom portraits.