It’s a very special day today, as this young lady completes her year with “one of the best experiences ever”. This is Delaney! She is Miss Randolph County’s Outstanding Teen 2017…
I first met Delaney at the Miss North Carolina‘s Outstanding Teen Work Weekend Headshot event we did back in April and was quite pleased when she reached out to us for this session. THIS session is all hers! Tonight she will be giving up her crown to the next Miss Randolph County’s Outstanding Teen. For Delaney, however, this was her very first title and considers it her forever crown. So it was only fitting that she wanted a beautiful & fun portrait session to capture this moment in time, to hold on to forever.
A 2 part session, we started at Bass Lake Park in Holly Springs to capture her in a natural Fall setting (or as Fall-ish as Mother Nature would let us have quite yet). Fall is when she received & will now be giving up her crown, so having a sense of that was important to her! It was an incredibly gorgeous day out and Delaney flowed from one look to the next! Once our time at the lake was complete, we had some indoor capturing to do as our part 2. Instead of making everyone drive all they way up to Raleigh, we moved over to The Studio Holly Springs! It was fabulously convenient, comfortable and helpful in allowing us to also capture headshots (while they were in town & because, well, this is only the beginning after all!) and also formal portraits of Delaney’s dream gown (umm, SQUEAL!!!). While I’ve done gown portraits before, they’ve been environmental/on location and have anxiously awaited the client that would give me this opportunity! Delaney most certainly did not disappoint with her stunning blue gown from Jewels Formals! Goodness gracious, I simply adore these!!!
Delaney wanting to do this session as a way to help remember and cherish her reign is especially important since she has grown a great deal in her self confidence & her leadership through this experience. While I did not know her previously, I can confirm that she certainly does have beautiful confidence & leadership now! After her Reveal & Order Session, we had a chance to sit and chat for a while… I learned about her journey and some of the experiences & learnings of being a first year contestant; I saw her mother’s adoration of her accomplishments and the young lady her daughter is; and I got to learn about her platform “Mission Possible: Mission Work within Schools”. As a Junior at Asheboro High School, this is especially meaningful to her. Her views around mission work were so impressively all encompassing & outreaching, I was quite blown away. For her, though many might assume so – it’s not necessarily religion or religious specific… it’s about creating a positive outlook within community, building community, volunteerism, support and acceptance. Her desire to have her peers at school know that she is there, that she is someone they can come to, someone that they can learn from so that they, themselves may give back to others… is genuine & deep & beautifully committed! And when I look through these images again now,I so clearly see that thoughtful introspection, and very welcoming smile looking back at me.
While I know that this is only the beginning (a rather impressive one at that), I’m so glad to have been a part of helping her hold on to this step in her journey! Best wishes for all that is ahead of you, sweet girl! I look forward to what is ahead, but for now… can’t wait to see you & your awesome mom this evening!…
As always, much thanks goes to Denise Hutter, Images by Denise for Delaney’s fabulous Hair & Makeup looks! Our awesome intern, Ellie Marshall for our behind the scenes coverage! And so much thanks & appreciation to The Studio Holly Springs for their awesomely handy spot that allowed us to have the complete session Delaney & her mom dreamed of right now!
For more images & fun behind the scenes moments, you may also catch highlights from Delaney’s Reveal Video on our YouTube channel!
