Senior photos are a rite of passage. Not all kids fit the mold, though, and their senior session should capture who they actually are during this crazy, exciting season. So it was really a no-brainer when we planned this shoot because we happened to know this girl personally, and she’s definitely got her own style. It was an easy choice to skip the beach and wander down some side streets and back roads with a film camera added to our usual arsenal of digitals.
Madeline’s images are breathtaking and everything she had to say about life at this age reminded us of ourselves not that long ago (except our senior session pics were never this cool – trust us).
The Quarrier family has been a friend of the #pure7fam since the beginning. As a matter of fact, Madeline’s mom, Amy, is the one behind the lens of most of the Manthey family photos you see. So we were super pumped to do a senior session with her oldest, who we’ve watched grow into a lovely, unique young woman.
A Crestview native, Madeline graduated this year after somewhat of a hybrid education. Homeschooled for many years, she wasn’t completely thrilled with the idea of joining the masses for the typical American high school experience. She didn’t use that as an excuse to skirt the edges, though; she got involved in sports and was inducted into the National Honor Society despite a bumpy start… like the first day of junior year as the new kid.
“I was so scared,” Madeline said about her first weeks in 11th grade. “I was insecure and wore long shirts so no one could see my body shape. I had no friends because I had been homeschooled for four years.”
The rough entry into mainstream social circles didn’t hold her back, though, and she plowed through her high school career with a 3.8 GPA. Looking back, she says the biggest lessons she learned were about herself. Stress is a killer, she found, and trying to build your life can be hard. But making friends is a lifesaver, and she says her ability to connect with others quickly has always been her superpower. And that superpower has led to some key relationships.
Out of all the people who have had the most influence in her life, there was no question for her as to the two at the top of her list. Her very best friend, Lydia, has been there since day one – literally. As a matter of fact, their moms were best friends in the eighth grade, and their daughters carry that bond to this day. And the other person on Madeline’s list?
Her mom, Amy.
“No one else really cares about me as much as she does,” Madeline told us. “She gets on my nerves but she does it because she cares. She has saved me from a lot of stupid things that I could’ve done. She’s my Momma; she’s been there when no one else could.”
Like so many others, Madeline can’t wait to get out of her hometown and live some life. She’s headed to Full Sail University for Cinematography in the fall, to chase her dream of being paid to travel and film. We don’t doubt for a second that she’ll be as talented behind the camera as she is in front of it, because her hometown roots have given her the courage to fly.
Call us or email us and let’s plan a senior session. This season will be over before you can blink, so let us capture it for you!
