When Jayda first reached out to me to do her senior photos, her name rang a bell in my head. So I reached back into my memories and it hit me: not only had Jayda gone to middle school with me just a few years behind, but I also used to play with her when we were super super little! Small world! How cool is that?!

I have to say, one of the best things about my job is getting to connect and reconnect with people and get to know them and document their lives for the person they are today. It’s super fun to see how much people change! Jayda reminded me of that.

She and her mom met up with my sister, Ashley, and me for her session at the Poland Woods on a super gorgeous fall afternoon (which is also a blast from the past for us since my family used to live on that side of town). Right away, I could see how close Jayda and her mama are, and it made my heart smile like crazy. They walked together to make sure Jayda didn’t fall as she walked through the forest in heels (major props to her!), laughed a bunch together, and planned out Jayda’s outfit ideas with the locations we had picked. Everything about their relationship was more than just a parent-child one, but a bond that went way beyond that.

Speaking of style, Jayda is one of the classiest fashionistas I have ever met. Every one of her outfits was carefully pieced together to reflect her so well. And with each outfit, she had perfect jewelry to match. I always really appreciate those little details.

Once we made it back out of the forest, we were on our way to downtown Youngstown to check out the Chase Bank doors, The Butler Institute of American Art, and to climb onto the top of a parking deck. For that last location right at golden hour, Jayda’s mom climbed the stairs to get to the top since she is not a huge fan of elevators. As soon as she got to the top, I decided I should’ve taken the stairs too because a wise mentor of mine once told me that you should always take the stairs as an easy way to stay fit. Awesome tip, am I right?!

Jayda is the type of girl that truly cares, and that really shined during her session. She thought of all the details, she was kind and light-hearted, and she made the whole afternoon go so smoothly. I have no doubt that is going to make her stand out big time in college!!