If you know Spencer, you know he likes to remain a bit in the shadows. He isn’t one to demand a lot of recognition or attention. He just does what he does. He plays music. He plays music so flawlessly that he is All State Jazz in Piano and attended the TMEA (Texas Music Education Awards) Conference in San Antonio in February.
When Spencer’s mom asked us to take his senior pictures I was so excited. I had so many ideas for his senior pictures because I knew we would get the opportunity to take some really cool shots of him with his instruments. Which we did and it was fabulous. Especially to be able to get up on the Southlake Carroll auditorium stage and shoot some dramatic images of him. As he effortlessly played that baby grand I let his music carry me and the camera just clicked away making his images one with the melodies.
The second part of Spencer’s session was in the park in Southlake accompanied by the many instruments he likes to play for fun. He’ll modestly tell you that he isn’t serious about any of them, but he did play drums in the band and I think he sounds pretty serious!
However, I was mostly excited about being able to take Spencer’s senior photos because of the interactions I’ve had with him over the years. Toni Burks Photography is the Southlake Carroll band photographer. So we didn’t know Spencer all that well before we sat down with him in our design meeting. We knew him only from our observations from the limited interactions with him on the field and around practice. I can give you an example.
Being on the sideline and trying to get the shot at halftime of a football game is a bit tricky. The last thing you want to have happen is to get run over by a football player or as Roger would say, to ‘get bowled over by a pack of flutes’! The other last thing you want is to hinder a band member from playing their part in the show. So one night as I was crawling around on the sidelines near the percussions I think I inched a little too close to Spencer’s drums and I immediately apologized for getting in his way. The first thing I saw was his facial expression of kindness and grace. This natural reaction is how I have come to know Spencer. And it’s this inner Spencer that I was so hoping to capture in his senior portrait session. When you look through his images, I hope this is the Spencer you see. I’m a big fan and I think you will be too!
Maybe you’ll feel a little bit of music and art too as you scroll through his gallery.
“The piano keys are black and white but they sound like a million colors in your mind.”
– Maria Cristina Mena
Spencer will be heading to UT in the fall to study biology. We wish him well and are thankful that he chose us to take his Senior Photos!
If you’re looking for senior pictures that capture who you are as well as what you like to do, give us a call. We’d like to get to know you and share our ideas for the best senior pictures to tell your story too. 817 403 1216. Call today!
