Meet James.

This young man like many other children is at home during the pandemic learning remotely. Well, school portraits have stalled this school year for many children across the country. So when his mother contacted me and asked about having her son's school portrait taken at their home, I was ready to photograph the young man using natural backgrounds opposed to the "typical backdrop" used in schools. However I was not prepared when James enthusiastically jumped on the opportunity to create his own custom scene by arranging his mother's mum plants, pumpkins and hay bales.  I just let him do his own thing and only somewhat assisted by mom and he just had fun creating his own fall scene. In the real world of school portraits this would be an impossible and impractical approach, however having children to create their own desired backdrop scene allows for creative expression and undoubtedly a natural smile, which all parents hope to see from their child's "school portraits"