Revisiting Lynn ~ Iowa City Cover Girl

Earlier this year I shot a cover story for Triumph, a national magazine for regular donors of the American Cancer Society. The story was about childhood cancer, and my subject was Lynn, a young University of Iowa student.

Lynn was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a cancer that resulted in doctors removing her right eye when she was only 1.5 years old. Soon after she got a prosthetic eye – what she’s had all of her life. During our shoot this past winter, she had a patch over her right eye because she was due to get a new prosthetic (needed to better fit her face as she gets older) and had to have the tissue behind her old prosthetic heal (hence the bandage in the magazine photo).

She got her new prosthetic earlier this spring, and we finally met up to take some photos of her with “both” eyes.

It was great to see her again, and hard to tell the prosthetic from the real eye… but… Lynn was more excited about the piercing above her lip – a reward to herself for surviving her first full year of college!

Cheers,

Shuva

Allissa & Friends ~ Bettendorf Prom Photography

This past weekend I had a chance to meet up with Allissa again and her friends before they left for prom. We met up at Bettendorf High School before heading to downtown Davenport‘s skywalk. The girls and guys were all decked out in their finest, and the last shot was of the girls and me going down the elevator.

Good times!

Allissa ~ Bettendorf Prom Photography

A couple days ago I had a chance to hang out with Allissa, who is excited beyond words about her junior year prom this coming Saturday. The Bettendorf teen has been busy preparing for the big day, amidst juggling school and work and friends and well… the dramas of high school life I’m sure we all remember (or don’t want to remember) all too well.

I got to her parents’ home and asked to start shooting in Allissa’s bedroom – not necessarily where I usually start each session, but in this case I know a girl’s usually most comfortable where she lives (or hides) the most. The first couple sets were shot on her bed before we moved to the den area.

I had met Allissa before and remembered thinking she looks just like her mom, Lynn, who owns a respectable wedding floral business. Allissa was also used to being photographed – her aunt is a photographer in Omaha – and well, has a beautiful presence about her that is carefree and fun.

Not to mention she thought of me as funny. Kudos to you, Allissa, for laughing when I told you to. Goodness knows what you would’ve done if I started shooting while doing yoga poses.

At this point we headed to Duck Creek Park, and oh… if you haven’t been lately the flowers there are GORGEOUS…

We ended with a shot of her and Blake, who will accompany Allissa to Saturday’s event. .. and of course, no shoot would’ve been complete without a view of her fancy footwear.

I can’t wait to see Allissa again on Saturday and meet her friends! Good times!

The Journey West

DENVER, Colo. –  Amtrak has a 1.5 hour layover here enroute from California’s Bay Area, where I stayed for 3 days for an incredible photography workshop on off-camera lighting. I’ve had tons of time to reflect on the past few days – the incredible journey through the Mountain states, the interesting people I’ve met/am meeting on the train, the active retiree who opened his home for me to stay in during the workshop, the awesome photographers I got to know – especially the two women from Arizona with whom I hung out with in San Francisco on our last night – and my plans on using what I learned.

I’m due back in the Quad Cities tomorrow afternoon, and excited to get back in the swing of things! In the meantime, here’s an glimpse of a few images from the workshop – a combination taken in direct sun, in the shade and in the dark.

Anna ~ Senior & GIVING IS AWESOME 2009 Recipient

Last holiday season, I joined the Giving Is Awesome movement – a worldwide effort from photographers to donate their work to a struggling person or family who also gave plenty to others. I put out the call for nominations and one by far stood out from the crowd. Karla and Bill of Clinton were chosen. You can read their winning nomination here.

However, a couple months ago Karla requested their family session instead be a senior session for their daughter, Anna. This was important, Karla told me, because Anna has had health problems throughout her life and they weren’t sure she’d make it this far. Anna has, and decided to graduate a year early from Clinton High School in hopes of continuing her studies in the nursing field.

Her senior session started in the family’s home and took us to some of the highlights of this small Mississippi River community, making for some unique shooting locations from the riverfront to Eagle Point Park. Here’s a few of my favorites:

David ~ Senior ’09

I photographed David a few days ago at his home in Bettendorf. He enjoys ping pong, golf and Xbox. David is homeschooled, and his family plans to have a graduation open house for him at the end of the month. Here’s a few of my favorites from his session.

Tears and Laughter – A Emotional 15th for Nicole

Before heading out of town, I had a chance to photograph Nicole’s quinceanera, a traditional celebration in the Hispanic community of young girls turning 15. Nicole’s quince was a day full of emotion, from the mass to the end of the reception at the Col Ballroom. Here are some highlights of that special day:

Nicole takes a moment to remember her late brother on her quinceanera.

A portrait I took of Nicole at the Botanical Center in Rock Island.

Nicole said she knew she was supposed to ask her dad to dance, but she asked her mother first instead.

Nicole dancing a storm with the girls in her courte.

Alex’s 15th Celebration

Unlike many birthdays and like weddings, many Hispanic families celebrate their daughter’s 15th birthday in a big way. For starters, the quinceanera (the same word for 15th celebration and the girl celebrating her 15th), is honored with a ceremony at church where they are blessed by a priest. Secondly, there is a courte de honor (pairings of the quinceanera’s closest friends who accompany her down the aisle at church). In addition, this courte and quinceanera perform a waltz or rather a series of elaborate waltzes/dances that are carefully choreographed productions these youngsters work on for a few weeks to a year. Lastly, the quinceanera celebration does not always happen on the girl’s 15th birthday. The “quinceanera season” – at least in Iowa – runs generally from April to October.

Alejandra (aka Alex) is one girl I photographed whose birthday was in winter, but celebrated her quinceanera recently. The youngest of four and raised by a single mom, Alex’s quince was filled with celebration and emotion. Here are a few of my favorites from her special day.

14 Guys and a Pretty Girl

If you have never been to a quinceanera (a 15th birthday celebration for a Hispanic girl), I would highly recommend trying to get invited to one. And if you see one like Elsy’s you’re in for an incredible experience. Elsy came to the Quad-Cities this past weekend from near Springfield, Illinois to have her quinceanera. Unlike other quinces I’d photographed, she had no girls in her court. Instead it was 14 guys and her younger brother. The guys played a small part in the mass at church. But Elsy gets the award for most creative, elaborate and entertaining quinceanera waltz and subsequent dances during the reception. (I think it was 5 dances, but I lost count.) But watching 14 young men and a young woman through a series of dances that was part waltz, part ballet, part cheerleader moves and part hip hop was more entertaining and comparable to seeing professionals on a stage perform.