Athletes+Sports
Teens+Tweens
Seniors
Last Saturday the LPJ Photography 2018 Senior Team, consisting of 15 rising seniors from Raleigh, Bunn, Durham, Littleton, and Roanoke Rapids got together for the first time, and I CANNOT WAIT to introduce you to this DREAM team. They made the day everything I could have hoped for and more. They meshed like they had known each other all their lives, and they made me laugh all day… I love them already. They have no idea how happy they have made me with all their talk about not being able to wait until we get together again.
I themed the shoot around my brand colors, and asked them each to bring something which represented something important to them. I also gave each kid gifts that reminded me of them, and that they could wear during our shoot. Much thanks to Leslie Acree and Initial Outfitters, which was the source all of the girl’s jewelry, Brewer’s beanie, and Peyton’s scripture cuff that you will see in these pictures. Thanks also to the parents who kept things running smoothly, and had a feast for the kids to munch on, which included DELICIOUS cupcakes provided by Shannon Warren and Simply Divine Cakes… the team definitely did not go hungry while we shot and did hair and make up at The Renaissance Spa & Salon. Sarah Daugherty is responsible for my girl’s flawless makeup, and Kendall Rightmyer from Mirror Mirror fixed their hair to make them feel like stars… thanks to both of them for the pampering!
This post will be a little longer than most, but I think you’ll enjoy meeting my kids and seeing some of my favorite pictures of them from our time together:
I have known of AJ Hoscila, RRHS Class of 2018, his entire life, but for some reason had never really had the chance to get to know him until this year. That was completely my loss! His kind, and gentle personality gets pushed aside when he hits the water… this swimmer is a FIERCE competitor, and this winter he became the first swimmer in RRHS history to medal in the State Competition, with his Bronze medal performance in the 100 free style. I don’t even know how many school records he owns, but I do know that none of them are safe, because next year he is going for gold, and I can’t wait to be there to cheer him on!
Please meet Sarah Norris, Garner High School Class of 2018, this breathtaking girl is the total package. Not only is she a stunning beauty, but she is an accomplished athlete, with an NCA Level 5 Championship, a US Trials Gold Medal, and a World Championship Silver Medal, all from her stint in competitive cheer. But that is not all, she also plans to pursue a medical career, with surgery being one of the specialties she is most interested in. Truly, she is one of those girls that other girls would love to hate because she is SO amazing… except that she is also so incredibly sweet and humble that everyone who meets her just falls in love with her, just as I have!
Brewer Shearin, Halifax Academy Class of 2018, has always been to me the thoughtful boy with the gorgeous curls, the sparkling eyes, and the sweet smile. He may have gotten taller, but not one of those other things has changed. Brewer is just GOOD. I don’t know how else to describe his gentle and sentimental nature. His faith, his music, and his family are the cornerstones of his life, and you can often find him serving with his youth group from Enterprise Baptist Church.… A hard worker, Brewer is Junior Class President, a member of the Beta Club and Quiz Bowl team. He is saving up from his job to buy a car, and he also plays his guitar and banjo while he sings both original and cover songs on Roanoke Avenue from 6:30-8:30 p.m. every Saturday Night at U OK Etc Coffee House. You guys should drop in and check out the show. It is a good time, spent with good company, and good music, supporting a great kid.
Samantha Herring, RRHS Class of 2018, is an exotic beauty, full of personality and wit. Let me tell you, this dancer, cheerleader, and equestrian, had me laughing the entire time we shot! She had no problem hamming things up with me and being silly, and I am afraid that her mom, Michelle has a video of it all that may be good for black mail some day! Nahhh, we don’t embarrass easily, do we Sam? Bring it on!
Sam is joy personified, and the encouragement and energy she gave to her friends as they took their turns in front of the camera was contagious. This kid is going to be the life of my 2018 Team, I just KNOW it… and I am SO grateful she chose to take this journey with me!!
When I read the application submitted by Alyssa Nelson, NC School of Science and Mathematics Class of 2018, I stopped dead in my tracks and got chills running up and down my arms. It is obvious that she is intelligent just from the fact that she is a student at that prestigious school, but most impressive to me is her maturity and sense of self. This kid is grounded in faith and love… she just GETS what is important, what true beauty is, and where she gets her worth. I c…hose her for many reasons, but most importantly because her message is EXACTLY what I try to communicate to the teens I photograph. I will let her words speak, “As a girl who once struggled with seeing herself as beautiful, I know that the confidence that I have now comes from knowing that I am made to reflect grace and love.” Alyssa, what can I tell you? You, my beautiful, amazing girl, are the epitome of a person who brings light into darkness… And I can’t wait to see you change the world.
How do I introduce someone I have loved and cherished since his first heartbeat? I guess I could say that he is my son, and I am grateful beyond words that I LIKE him as much as I LOVE him.
Please meet my heart, Peyton McLean Jackson, RRHS Class of 2018.
I admire his passion for standing up for what is right. I am inspired by his love of the Lord, and his constant pursuit of excellence in everything he does. I am amazed by the persistence with which he tackles every task, …whether it is lifting weights, practicing to improve his music or his baseball game, or diving into his academics. Peyton is constantly working to make himself the best that he can be, and he does so with intensity, humility, and grace, as he gives the glory of any success to God, whom he credits for the gifts he has been given.
Intensely patriotic, and a lover of the values upon which the United States was founded, Peyton is equally proud of the great country he lives in and the Puerto Rican heritage we are privileged to share.
My boy is kind, he is thoughtful, he is generous, and he is a person of high moral character.
Mannnn… I sure am thankful that he was given to me.
It was the summer of 2006 or so… every single day, like clock-work, about 10:00 in the morning, my doorbell would ring. I would look out the window beside the door and not see anyone. Then I would look down, and without fail see the most precious big brown eyes looking up at me. “Hi Hunter,” I would say. “Is Peyton home,” Hunter would ask. Well, of course he was, and Hunter would come in and they would play video games and have all sorts of adventures. I wish I had tho…ught to take pictures of them then… but I will have to be grateful that I get to take pictures of him now. Please meet Hunter Baker, RRHS Class of 2018.
Hunter is funny, good-hearted, and an accomplished athlete. He runs cross country and track, but his passion is in swimming, where he is a leader on his team, among the few who medaled in Regional competition and represented Roanoke Rapids High School at States. If Hunter’s passion is in swimming, it could be in part because of his love of the beach, and the time his family spends there every summer… but his heart is in weight lifting, cross fit, and fitness. Hunter is taking his determined, motivated attitude to a physique competition in June, and he hopes to “encourage others to be their best through fitness.” I have no doubt he will make his mark on that industry some day!
I remember thinking Abbey Acree, RRHS Class of 2018, was absolutely the sweetest girl in the world when she was in elementary school. I have a very clear memory of her during her 5th grade graduation. Then I blinked, found her application to my Senior Team in my inbox, and thought, “HOW is she about to graduate from High School already?” The years have passed, and she has grown into a BEAUTIFUL girl, but the best part is that the best things about Abbey have not changed. …She is the type of person that makes everyone around her feel welcomed and loved. She is real, she is easy going, she is kind, and I just LOVE sitting and having a conversation with her. Abbey is also a terrific athlete, having grown up playing travel soccer and softball. These days you can see her tearing up the competition on the volleyball court, the swimming pool, and the soccer field… I wonder if she has heard my loud mouth cheering her on when she plays?
Before Jack Neville, RRHS Class of 2018, moved to Roanoke Rapids and just around the corner from my parents, he lived in Littleton, just around the corner from my in-laws. He could not have been more than about 4-years-old when he came bounding up their drive way one Halloween, just as we were about to head back to town after our visit with the grandparents. As we were introducing him and his sisters to my kids, Peyton, who was also about 4, had recently fallen in love with the Lord, and was already lazer focused, came up to him and asked, “Hey! Are you Christian?” Jack looked at Peyton, waved and said, “Hi! No, I’m Jack!” And so a friendship began….
Well, you guys, two things can be true at once. Jack IS a Christian, active in his church youth group, and passionate about his family’s yearly service mission trip to Haiti. An avid athlete, Jack is the quarterback for the Yellow Jacket football team, and a guard for the basketball team. Jack is thoughtful, funny, selfless, kind, and handsome, and I am elated that he chose to become a member of my 2018 Team!
It is easy for teens to sacrifice who they really are in order to be who they think society wants them to be. The thing I love most (and there is A LOT that I love) about Alexis Brown, Cornerstone Christian School Class of 2018, is that she is her own person, without apologies, and with a confidence about what she stands for that I only wish I had had at her age. I knew I wanted this avid hunter and volleyball team captain on my team when she said to me, “I am not like mos…t girls… I find fun in hard core training hours at the Fire Department. I get up at all hours of the night to go help strangers in need, and I would do it over and over. So if you are looking for some traditional girly girl, that’s not me.”
No Alexis, I love a traditional girly girl, but I was looking for kids who are kind, who are selfless, who are compassionate, who strive to be their best selves. I was looking for a group of different individuals who would bring out the best in those who surround them. Yes, Alexis, I think you will fit in just fine! I am grateful you are letting me share in your Senior Year, my girl!
Please meet Caleb Johnson, RRHS Class of 2018. Caleb is quiet but sweet, and has a smile that would light up a room. He has a passion for baseball and hunting, and I love that he doesn’t mind when I joke around with him and give him a hard time! Caleb shared a special bond with his grandfather, who he unexpectedly lost recently… so you can just imagine the emotions I felt when his mom told me that he would be wearing his granddad’s shirt to our shoot. I love when we can hang on to little tokens to help us remember those who have left imprints on our hearts!
Have you ever felt like you had known someone your whole life from the second you met them? Yeah, that is exactly how I felt the second that Kate Starnes, Halifax Academy Class of 2018, walked into Starbucks the day we were meeting to interview for my Rep Team. This outstanding athlete does it all, cross country, basketball, soccer… but the first thing she said when I asked her to describe what is important to her was her relationship with the Lord, and the Christian comm…unity which supports and surrounds her. She values and enjoys her family as well, and treasures spending her summers serving with her cousins at Camp Willow Run, which was founded by her grandparents … it is easy to see that the love of Christ flows out of this beautiful sweet girl. I am SO grateful to have her on my team!
I remember vividly, when I was a little girl, playing kick the can with Chris Parrott, who later was a member of my graduating class from Roanoke Rapids High School. You can imagine how happy it made me to get his daughter’s application in my inbox, and to have the opportunity to share in HER senior year! Please let me introduce to you to Bridgette Parrott, RRHS Class of 2018. This cheerleader breaks typical stereotypes by volunteering with the Gaston Volunteer Fire Department. She is a self-described aqua-holic because of her love of all things beach and lake, but I describe her as a dreamer with big goals. She hopes one day, among other things, to own an animal shelter, to learn to surf, and to travel the world. I have no doubt you WILL see those Northern Lights someday, Bridgette! Shoot for the moon, my girl!
Life is funny the way it works sometimes. A few years ago, we tried moving to a more central part of the state, and while we are thankful to have been brought back home to Roanoke Rapids, we are equally grateful for the wonderful people we met while at our home away from home in Bunn, NC.
Bailey Murray, Bunn High School Class of 2018, is both a wonderful person and from Bunn, but the strange thing is, I didn’t get to meet her while we were there.
Over the last few years, she saw work I did for some of the athletes at BHS, and decided to apply when she saw that I was looking for rising seniors to represent LPJ Photography.
I can’t tell you how thankful I am that she did! Like with my meeting with Kate, Bailey and I clicked immediately. How could I NOT fall in love with her? She has an infectious smile, outgoing personality, and is the type of person that has never met a stranger. Thanks to Bailey, we got a 2018 LPJ Rep Team picture before we were ever “official,” when she spotted some of the Roanoke Rapids crew at a visiting event at UNC-Wilmington, and decided to go up to them and introduce herself. I LOVE her willingness to put herself out there!
Not surprisingly, Bailey is highly active in the BHS pep club and all things school spirit, and is also heavily involved in student council and the history honor society, Rho Kappa.
I always say that when we moved back home, I left part of my heart where they wear green and gold… and now I can include Bailey as one of the reasons for that!
This sweet future nurse and dedicated, decorated HOSA member has a quiet, gentle spirit that I fell in love with when I first met her at our meeting during my 2018 Team application process. She is an honor student who looks for ways to make those around her feel comfortable, and enjoys connecting with others to build lasting friendships.
Jamelyn Ferguson, RRHS Class of 2018, is humble and lovely, with an infectious smile that brightens my life. More than anything, my wish f…or her this year is that she see her enormous worth and beauty, and that she recognize the joy that she brings to everyone who is fortunate enough to come into contact with her. I am so happy I get to spend this year with you, sweet girl!
AREN’T THEY AMAZING?!? I am elated to take this journey with them! If YOU would like more information about the LPJ Photography Portrait Experience, please click the link to get your Client Guide!
Love and Blessings,
Lymarie
Wow! What a fantastic group!