It feels kind of weird to be blogging a senior in July, but I kind of love that I was able to extend the graduation season over several months time! Madison was the last of my “phase 1” reschedules, but this is not the end! I have two more girls in August + a handful of December graduates this fall that I am already looking forward to meeting!

Madison’s shoot was a few weeks ago, but it served as a great turning point. It was my seventh shoot in 7 days, including my trip to Austin in the mix. As I was walking up to meet Madison on campus, Jonathan was on the phone telling me I couldn’t drive my car home because of an oil light that came on. Cue a bit of panic. There was just a lot going on this day, and I knew I needed to push myself to stay focused on Madison, keep the positivity up, and serve her well. There seems to be one day like this every season where I just have to suck it up, turn the “personal life” side of my brain off, and just focus on what and who is in front of me.

Madison is the sister of a past senior – Megan Verge. We photographed her graduation portraits at OU in 2017. (How is that post for a throwback!!!) I was telling Madison that if the two of them compared notes on their MFP experiences, they would not look similar. 2017 was a pivotal year for me – one that I refer to as a “growth spurt”. It was the year I attended the Katelyn James workshop (yes – my wedding photographer!), and I photographed 6 huge proposals in a 6 month time period. I got really good, really fast. There was a sophistication that I grew into when it came to my client experience and processes – one that laid the foundation for the last three years, even though I am always modifying and perfecting it.

Madison has big dreams on the horizon – a possible gap year, but she is for sure a future med school student! She was sharing about how important school was to her, her dreams, and how she quit OU Soccer to pursue and prioritize those things. I think that’s something we can all learn from – cutting back on the “weeds” of life – the things that get in the way or distract from the beauty and the goal. This is something I hope will be prevalent in the next 6 months of life, as Jonathan and I prepare for some life changes in entering marriage.

All my love, Madison! You’re a beauty!