Aileen - Del Oro High School Class of 2014

Usually my blog posts are easier to write.  The most recent ones have been about the fantastic photographers I've gotten to work with, the glorious venues I went to, and how lovey dovey cute and fabulous the bride and groom are.  I suppose this one is a smidge harder to focus down to one main point, considering I have slightly over 18 years of information on this particular one.  Unfortunately, due to the process of aging, I can no longer try and ignore the fact of Aileen being my sister...  Within the past week or so I've been told "you look like Aileen, just taller" or when I posted a sneak peek on Facebook, one person said, "When I first looked at this before I click on the bigger picture ...I thought it was you!"  Bummer.  Can't pull that "I'm adopted" card anymore.  So Aileen... where to begin with her.  I could start with the day I met her in the hospital, and she made me faint...  Or the years where she wore a beret every day...  Or how everyone remembers her being the pig tailed girl eating goldfish at my middle school basketball games.  Despite all the things I will probably tease her about for the rest of her life, there are some impressive qualities this girl has.  She's a dancer since age three, a musician on about a half dozen different instruments, and quite the science wiz.  She's worked hard in school between zero period band and AP classes, and still finds time to hang out with friends.  I'm impressed with the work load she has taken upon herself, and the skills to have gotten accepted in to two different Universities right out of high school.
The last time I photographed Aileen was for her 16th birthday, which seems so long ago. Yes, there were pointe shoes and a fat cat involved.  Thinking it would be fun to relive that moment, we started off her senior session with an updated photo of her and her cat Mushu.  Well, "fun" may not be the word, but it sure made for a unique portrait.  Afterwards, we headed to Old Sacramento to finish up the portrait session with a more casual, as well as more pointe shoe, cat-less portrait.  Here are a few of my favorites from the day!
As if photographing Aileen's senior portraits weren't enough to make me feel like an exceptionally older sister, but she heads off to Senior Ball tomorrow.  I'm still not sure what I'll do if my live in model decides to go away to college next year, but I know whatever she chooses to do for herself, she'll rock it out.  Whether she think so or not.  Congratulations Aileen, you're nearly done being a high schooler with all your AP class, early morning, late night, no sleep madness.  Then it's onward to the real world, which is probably going to be just as exciting :)