It’s time to get started on introducing y’all to our amazing Class of 2017 Spokesmodels! Our first spotlight… Kylie Budd from Millbrook High School is the perfect young lady to get things rolling…
Kylie came to us as a nominee from Victoria, a kind and thoughtful neighbor of hers. With little time to get her response application in before the deadline, it was understandably much shorter & more quickly answered than girls that we normally move on to interviews. The nomination itself was so convincing and something told me we just had to at least meet her though. And WOW did she knock our socks off! She describes herself as timid, compassionate, hard working… and that she was. But there was something really truly extra special about her and her quiet timidness that really caught both of our attention!! Needless to say… we offered her a spot in the program. We have been thankful everyday since, both that Victoria took the time out of her day to submit such a sweet, thoughtful nomination and that we listened to our instinct! Simply couldn’t imagine the program without her or her mom a part of it all.
We gave each of the girls super hero names to go with our stylized theme this year, and Kylie’s was Modesta. She is down to earth and always tries to show love onto others… which is quickly apparent. We’d have to add that she’s an incredibly kind, sweet & generous spirit! Kylie is most proud of her commitment and involvement in YoungLife at school and has friends that are both caring & fun, balancing each other perfectly. She did a fabulous job of ‘playing the part’ for the group theme – standing strong and even with a powerful regalness to her, but you could still see ‘her’ through her eyes. In her application, she answered her eyes as the thing people first notice about her. And as you’ll see from her images – they are stunning! At times, even looking like GOLD, radiating the kindness that is who she is. So much so that we even made them one of her super powers…
When asked about her experience with the program so far, here’s what Kylie had to say…
- What appeals to her about Jen’s work/style… “My favorite part of our session was watching the whole thing come together. It was the coolest thing to see how all the articulate pieces Jen crafted in her head assembled into one amazing shoot, she’s kind of a genius. Jen goes deeper than just the picture, she made sure everything from our hair to our clothes to our accessories matched each of our personalities. Getting to know all the girls individually was also one of the best parts, and the more I got to know them, the more I realized why Jen picked each of us. These girls are so special to me, and I have never bonded so quickly with a group of girls before.“
- Favorite part of working with Jen & team… “The best part about working with Jen, as I mentioned before, is that she cares way more than just about the picture. Jen is one of THE most thoughtful people. She plans like a pro, for the group and for you as an individual. She is also very supportive, and its pretty fun having the person taking the pictures of you cheer you on! (Her reactions are priceless). Her sweet assistant Nola Grace was also there every step of the way. She was for sure one of the most important keys to our success. She was there for any lighting assistance, fly away hairs, or just a good laugh. Also a part of the JMP team are two incredibly talented make up/hair artist, and I had the pleasure of getting to work with Joanne. Besides being very gifted with a curling iron and make up brush, she is possibly one of the sweetest women you could ever meet. She does an amazing job at recreating looks and can envision exactly what she needs to do. And last but not least, LIZZY, let me just tell you may be one of the cutest human beings I have ever met. She was a real trooper through out the day and some of my favorite pictures were taken with her 🙂 “
- Why her peers should come to Jen for their portraits… “I highly encourage my peers, and any teenage girl for that matter, to work with Jen for their senior portraits because it is an experience like no other. The opportunity to be able to create the shoot of your dreams is not something that many photographers can offer!! Getting to work with Jen is so much fun, and she also produces amazing photos!“
- What she appreciated about her already completed 1:1 session (stay tuned for those VERY soon!)… “I had the privilege of having one of the first one-on-one sessions, and I could not be more pleased with how everything turned out. Every look I had turned out just as I had hoped and I cannot thank Jen enough for being so helpful with all of that!!“
Fun & Fab Scoop on Kylie’s FAV things:
- Favorite Quotes… ““Most people avoid opportunity because it comes dressed in overalls and looks a whole lot like work.”- The Choice
- Color… Any and all shades of blue
- Time of Day… Sunset
- Music… A little bit of everything
- Songs… XO – Cover by John Mayer; Oh, Carolina by needtobreathe; Sunday Candy by Chance the Rapper; Let it Be Me by Ray Lamontagne; Island in the Sun by Weezer
- Book… Anything John Greene
- TV Shows… Friends, Friday Night Lights, Gilmore Girls
- Movies… The Choice, Safe Haven…Basically any and all Nicholas Sparks movies
- Plays… Matilda & Wicked
- Sports… Football & Baseball
- Designer… Tory Burch
- Food… PIZZA
- Restaurant… MELLOW MUSHROOM
- Hang Out Spot… by the lake in my eno
- Thing to Do with Friends… take day trips to the beach or go to the lake
- Location… Wilmington, NC
- Vacation… Probably to Colorado
Kylie’s future aspirations include attend UNCW to get her Bachelors in the Science of Nursing and after a couple of years, potentially become a PA or Nurse Practitioner. What lucky patients she will have!! Hopefully this will be accompanied by her dream vacation in Turks and Caicos, including “nothing but a clear blue ocean and lots, and lots of smoothies 🙂 “.
We simply adore Kylie & her mom, Alycia SO very much!! And are quite pleased to have the honor of sharing her with y’all through images. We hope that you’ll follow along in the coming days to see her personal session, which has already been completed! AND in the coming months for Kylie & Alycia’s mother/daughter session this fall!…
If you see Kylie at school or around town, don’t miss the opportunity to take a moment to chat with her… your day will be all the brighter for it! Feel free to reach out to her or myself if interested in getting your own Fab Grad (Senior) Portrait Session booked! She even has 10% discount off your commission fee to share… BONUS!! 😀
Special Thanks & Credits…
Hair & Make-up: Joanne Maye / Joanne Maye Make-up Artistry
Locations: The Glass Box & Downtown Raleigh
Outfit: Top – Forever21, Skirt – Amazon, Jewelry – Amazon, Boots – Poshmark
Additional Thanks: Nola Grace Brown & Gabi Perkins
