Hailee was a student of mine before she was a client, so we walked into this session already knowing each other.

Before we ever picked up a camera, Hailee told me what she wanted most from her photos: authenticity. She said she felt like a lot of dancers today compromise who they are to fit someone else’s idea of what they should be. For a young person to say that clearly and without hesitation, I thought that was really special. So we built the whole session around it.

We started with improvisation. Hailee has real physical ability, and I wanted to give that space early in the session, not because it was the heart of what we were after, but because it was part of her story too. These were some of the shots we captured.

The Moment That Made the Session

During our consultation I had asked Hailee when she feels most like herself. She didn’t hesitate. She talked about her faith, about worship music. When I heard that, I knew that towards the end of our time together, it would be a great opportunity to put on one of her favorite church songs.

What happened next wasn’t something I could create, but only Hailee. She started smiling, then singing along, then laughing. These portraits came out of that. I share her same faith, so I understood exactly where she was coming from, and I think that unspoken common ground is visible in these frames. She wasn’t performing for the camera. She was just being Hailee.

Hailee walked in knowing what she wanted, and she was right to want it. The photos I’m most glad we captured aren’t the athletic dance ones, they’re the ones where she’s mid-laugh, just being herself. That’s what she asked for, and that’s what we got.

If you’re interested in photography like this, I’d love to hear from you. Reach out today, I’d love to work with you.