Senior Portraits of a Steadfast Leader – Dallas Frisco Family Photographer – FIORIA by Me Ra Koh

We are so honored to have had the opportunity to witness such a sweet baby boy grow into this strong, consistent young man! Can you believe I took Carter’s newborn portraits eighteen years ago?! There is a really special story about his baby photo shoot at the end. Many of you have heard me share it when speaking. This is that same baby in the bathtub!

His family flew from Idaho for this special Senior Portrait Experience!

THE FIORIA DIFFERENCE – SENIOR PORTRAITS

Our Rising Senior Portrait Experience at FIORIA is not your typical senior portraits. 

We remember the day we photographed Carter’s newborn portraits.. he seemed so tiny, so beautiful. He is still beautiful but definitely no longer tiny – we cannot believe he’s all grown up! Documenting this season in Carter’s life is such an honor. But we’re not just doing Senior Portraits. This is about EMPOWERING your kids before they leave home. Before the photo shoot, we do a call with each person in the family to hear what they love most about the graduating senior. This huge milestone is something the whole family is experiencing. Doesn’t it deserve a powerful, meaningful experience where everyone gets a voice? 

We also find that parents don’t realize they need to know what their graduating senior has embraced from them. It’s like the thing we didn’t know we needed to hear as parents. And so we do a special call with the senior too that draws the whole family closer. 

STRONG MIND, STRONG WILL, STRONG HEART

We have been bouncing up and down to introduce you to this incredible young man, Carter Vaillancourt! He and his family flew out from Idaho to have this special Rising Senior Portrait Experience! Having photographed him as a baby made the whole thing come full circle! We are humbled and overjoyed to be a part of his life, the amazing young man he’s become and now share him with the world!

STRONG MIND – Carter’s strength is an over-arching theme in his life. Not just physical strength, though his athleticism can attest to that, but strength of character. Carter’s strong, clear mind is a gem to his family. Cherished by his parents, Carter’s mind is quick, analytical and calm, even in stress and emergencies. “Even as a baby, you could see his mind working, trying to figure everything out. He is always asking questions!” shared his mom.

STRONG WILL – It’s possible you could go your entire life and never meet someone as steadfast, dependable and consistent as Carter. His strength of will and his spirit are unique. He is capable of giving so much grace and exuding calm and warmth in all situations. Determined, Carter accomplishes all he sets his mind to, regardless of obstacles. This makes him a unique, steadfast leader.

STRONG HEART – Carter LOVES his family. When he talks about them, his eyes light up! He has a generous, giving heart and will always go out of his way to make everyone around him feel included and important. Carter absolutely hates seeing anyone left out or pushed to the sidelines. He makes as many friends as possible and creates strong, authentic bonds.

We should all be blessed to have a Carter in our lives to love and support us!

ALWAYS KINDNESS FOR OTHERS

Carter’s mom tells us a story about when he was a little boy, just barely walking – he saw a little girl crying at the airport and he walked right up to her and gave her his precious Lambie, a beloved stuffed animal that is still in the family. Lambie made a special guest appearance for his photo shoot. 🙂

What a heart he has for others!

DIVERSE INTERESTS AND WHOLE-HEART LIVING

Carter is man of varied interests.. we would definitely call him ‘well-rounded’! He LOVES art, enjoys wake surfing and has found a passion for lacrosse that he will carry with him to college.

At the start of high school he tried out for the club lacrosse team and ended up getting cut from the team he had been a part of since 4th grade. He was devastated but he didn’t allow it to stop him from fulfilling his passion for the sport. He soon found a new team that he plays with to this day. His love for the sport kept him going and made him work harder because he realized how much he wanted it.

Carter says going through the hard stuff has made him better and more confident. “When I’m determined I’m very focused. I play as hard as I can.”

TOP 3 QUALITIES RISING WITHIN

Carter shares with us the top 3 qualities he finds rising within himself during this season.

DETERMINED – When he puts his mind to something, nothing will stop him! A quality we know will serve him well in college and beyond. We cannot wait to see how Carter’s determination and faith works in his favor as he pursues his dreams.

STRONG-MINDED – His goal is to overcome adversity and find ways to ‘do it better’. He loves Psalm 118:24: “This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

INCLUDING – We LOVE that Carter not only recognizes this quality within himself but celebrates it as the incredibly important thing that it is. Everyone wants to feel included but not everyone has the ability to make others feel like they belong. Just sitting and visiting with Carter for a few minutes will make you feel calm, welcome and appreciated. Such a unique gift to give to the world! All of these qualities are what make Carter such a wonderful, steadfast leader.

WHAT HIS MOM LOVES ABOUT CARTER

Gayla, Carter’s mom, beams with pride when talking about her eldest son. When asked about Carter’s top qualities, Gayla told us Carter is independent. He lives in Idaho, goes to school in Spokane, WA and his lacrosse team is in Oregon. He’s great at being where he needs to be, when he needs to be there. We know this is a quality that not everyone his age has and want to lend recognition to Carter’s maturity.

His mom also describes Carter as analytical, and says he’s been like that since he was a baby! His mind is always working.. always turning and figuring things out. He’s inquisitive and asks lots of questions. His dad jokes, “You got mommy’s brain and dad’s looks!”

She says Carter has a calm, meek, grace to him. He does not get anxious in difficult situations. On the lacrosse field it can be super tense and he just ‘gets to work’. She said as a child, he would stand off to the side on the playground. He’s an introvert, like her, and it takes him a while to really open up to people. He doesn’t make friends fast but when he does, it’s so good.

CARTER’S WORDS FOR HIS MOM

“She has taught me to be my own person, and not let anyone influence or shape me. To be comfortable asking a lot of questions. To be a leader by lifting others up and giving feedback. My mom and I can also be serious, but I can make jokes and tease her all the time too,” shared Carter.

DEPENDABLE – ‘HE’S OUR ROCK’

Last, Gayla describes Carter as her rock She says, “He’s so dependable, consistent and reliable. It may be on his own terms but whatever it is, it gets done.” We have no doubt this is what makes him such a great leader.

As an example of him being analytical, mom says Carter has this uncanny ability to talk to anyone and present sound arguments as to why he should get what he wants. Even as a small boy, no more than 2 years old, he ‘swindled’ his little brother out of a toy. “I remember my mom turning to me and saying, ‘Oh my gosh, he’s going to be so good at getting whatever he wants!’ And it’s true. He always presents fair reasoning and super quick logical arguments. We have to tell him, ‘You’re right, but we said no.'”

WHAT HIS DAD LOVES ABOUT CARTER

We asked Carter’s dad, Ken, about his top 3 qualities he loves about Carter. First, he says Carter is just a great human. He is kind, loving, caring, intelligent and every value his parents could want for him. He’s a true role model and a steadfast leader.

Next, dad describes Carter as extremely caring. He cares for others and it is so evident to those around him. Carter wants to be a coach someday and is already a great coach to little kids. He really cares about your feelings.

Last, his dad describes him as independent and a great problem solver. Carter learns quickly. You only have to show him once and he gets it. He enjoys working on his own car even and figuring things out on his own.

CARTER’S WORDS FOR HIS DAD

“My dad has taught me how to do stuff on my own. Whether it’s housework, like painting the house, working on cars, mowing the lawn, etc. How to not do anything half effort. I can also be more silly with my dad, make more jokes,” shared Carter.

BROTHERLY COMPETITION – WITH A GROWL

Little brother, Brendan, just passed his driving test and found an older box jeep with an exhaust system ‘with a growl’. Carter took his mom’s Jeep Wrangler as his own but he was jealous of Brendan’s exhaust system growling. So what did he do? He researched and found exactly what he needed to do to get everything to work the way he wanted. And now his own exhaust system growls! Lol. Carter conquers challenges, that’s for sure! When he was done getting his jeep to growl, Ken says he had the biggest grin on his face and they test drove it together.

Apparently, Carter is a bit of a ‘neat freak’ – as parents we can definitely appreciate this quality in a teenager! Come on! His room is always neat with a pristine shoe collection. He really takes pride in his space and belongings and keeping things tidy.

We could all use a little bit more of whatever Carter’s got!

WHAT BRENDAN LOVES ABOUT HIS BROTHER

Brendan says Carter is really funny and outgoing. “everywhere we go, he loves to talk to people.” He recalls when they moved and Carter was just starting high school. Brendan marveled at how well Carter adapted to a new school and making new friends.

Brendan believes his brother’s superpower is getting his way. He has this charm about him, only – it doesn’t work on Brendan! Haha.

They can laugh or debate (mostly laugh) and he knows Carter cares about him.

We asked Brendan what he’ll miss most about his brother after he leaves for school. He said, “Lacrosse and practicing together every day. I’ll miss him just being around and us just being together.”

But Brendan wants Carter to know that he’s definitely be taller than Carter!

We love this part – we asked Brendan what advice he has for Carter, and we can all take this advice! He says he wants Carter to slow down once in a while. To take in his surroundings and just enjoy where he is because he’ll only have one college experience. Brendan, you are wise beyond your years!

WHAT HIS FAMILY HOPES TO SEE

Mom wants these portraits to be a reminder to Carter of how strong he is. Difficult situations has caused him to doubt himself, but having him see a visual representation of the traits they talk about will hopefully remind him of who he is. No matter what happens, no one can take his spirit and character away from him.

She also wants these portraits to remind him of the open, honest and fun dynamic and love his family has for him and each other.

Ken gets a little choked up when we asked him what he hopes these portraits mean for Carter. He says, “How do I explain this to you? My dad didn’t express a lot, that’s why I try to with my boys. I’m so proud of Carter. I’d love to see that look.. his glow. I want to see that on my son’s face.”

I loved talking to his mom about how HAPPY she is to have this up in their home!

They had a vision for this specific space, and it turned out to be everything and more!

WE BECOME WHAT WE SEE!

Carter also had this stock art in his bedroom for years. His mom said it’s been a symbol of aspiration. THIS IS SO POWERFUL! It goes to show how much a visual on your wall of who you see yourself becoming is transformational! Imagine if that visual was of YOU and not stock art?

Another Rising Phoenix reached out when she read Carter’s story and said, “This is exactly what I’m seeing in my photos – me becoming what I see in the photos I took with you!”

So we decided to capture the REAL THING, the man Carter has become! Now he gets to see HIS silhouette every morning and be reminded of how awesome he is!

Carter, we hope these portraits adequately express exactly how loved and cherished you are by your family and everyone surrounding you. You are such a special young man with so many outstanding, strong qualities. Getting to talk with you, hear about what is important to you, and what your family has given you was inspiring!

This season is special and we aim to capture who you are in this moment and all the love that you hold close to your heart. From the most precious newborn photo to the steadfast young man you are today – it has been our absolute honor and pleasure to see you step into the man God created you to be.

We know bright things are ahead of you at Florida Southern! We look forward to seeing you SHINE in all you put your mind to moving forward!

BABY IN THE BATHTUB: ONE MORE SPECIAL STORY

From the beginning of my photography career, I’ve never been one for traditional baby poses. There isn’t anything wrong with that style, I’m just drawn to the stories. Even before our studio team was doing calls with the family, I always wanted to know what every parent treasured most. I remember asking Gayla, eighteen years ago. “What do you love to do most with your baby boy?” She didn’t hesitate. “I love to sing to him when we take a bath.”

That’s what we needed to capture.

Ken was a great sport and went along with it. After all, we had only met 15 minutes ago. Still, we filled up the bath. There was a small skylight above for just enough light. Gayla got in with baby Carter and started singing to him. It was the most beautiful moment, as this miracle baby looked up at his mom, transfixed, and held by so much love.

Their black lab at the time heard Gayla singing from the other room. He walked into the bathroom, collapsed on the floor, and let out a big sigh listening to Gayla sing. I’ll never forget looking up at Ken after I shot a handful of photos. He had tears in his eyes and said, “That’s my family. Thank you.”

I’ve told this story for almost twenty years whether I’m speaking to photographers or corporations on the importance of Active Listening. I explain every step to setting up this portrait in my book Your Baby in Pictures which continues to sell in bookstores and Amazon over a decade later.

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO PHOTOGRAPH?

What is most meaningful to them. How do you find out what is most meaningful? You make time to ask and really listen. Then you take a risk, even if it’s filling up a bath with a mom you only met 15 minutes prior. As a photographer, storyteller, leader, we are here to serve and let people know we hear them. And what is most meaningful to them is worthy of being captured.

SEE MORE RISING SENIOR EXAMPLES

Zoie’s mom wasn’t sure if her daughter would show for the photo shoot. She has genuinely never liked photos of herself. All that changed with her Rising Senior Experience!

CLICK HERE to see Zoie’s Rising Senior Experience!

Noah’s mom said “We had the privilege of having FIORIA capture both of our boys Senior photos. But it was more than a photo session. It changed their VISION. It changed their countenance. I believe it will change their destiny as they prepare to leave the nest! The family interviews gave each family member a chance to speak life over each senior. It has changed the trajectory of their belief system, therefore their paths. I would recommend anyone to utilize this opportunity to show your young person WHO they are, so they believe it. Thank you FIORIA for the amazing LIFE work you do!”

CLICK HERE to see Noah’s Rising Senior Experience!

Lucas has also never liked photos of himself. He told his mom he was doing this photo experience for her. But our call with Lucas changed everything! It was so POWERFUL! Lucas ended up loving every single portrait and has wall art reminding him of who he is every morning. This experienced transformed how he sees himself! And just in time before leaving for college.

CLICK HERE to see Lucas’s Rising Senior Experience!

When Halle started singing her voice filled the studio taking us all to another place. It was magical. Halle’s proud of all the work she’s put into her voice. You’ve got to see her portraits and read her story!

CLICK HERE to see Halle’s Rising Senior Experience!