Taylor Class of 2020 | Anjeanette Photography Senior Anthem, Peoria, North Phoenix Arizona
/It turns out that I actually saw Taylor about a year before we ever met! We were chatting about her love of theatre and performance and dreams of acting in college. Taylor is an accomplished actress who has performed in local youth theatre groups as well as at Sandra Day O’Connor where my own kids attend school. The theatre productions at that high school are not like the plays and musicals we put on when I was in hs- they are extremely professional and have amazing production values. That got us talking about favorite musicals, and I mentioned a few recent ones I had been to in NY and locally, including Sister Act at The Arizona Broadway Theatre that friends from church treated us to- it turns out I had already watched Taylor perform as a part of that ensemble cast!!
Taylors brought a vintage vibe to her session, with her favorite records from Billie Joel to Carole King to Fleetwood Mac with her retro sunglasses- she was so effortlessly cool. For the perfect backdrop, she had her sights set on Mill ave with its local indie bookstores and classic flashback style movie theatre - plus Sparky's ice cream parlour.
We soaked up att the sights from tiny garden nooks to parking garages with stunning views of ASU and Gammage before heading over to the Tempe Arts Center for a peachy rose sunset by the water. One fun item Taylor and her mom planned were bubbles- she loves them, and what a way to blow your cares away after a disappointment than colorful bubbles. Bubbles don't fix problems obviously, but they sure speak to the resilience of Taylor's spirit in far less than ideal circumstances. She hasn't totally made her mind up about which college she will be pursuing next year- and with so many universities postponing events it has been hard to get all of the information and auditions in to make a choice. This class of graduating seniors has had so many setbacks and pivots disrupting their lives- yet they are all seemingly taking it in stride. They have adapted to the new normals with amazing recovery rates from grief and are comfortable with their emotions and taking on hard challenges head-on with a sense of humor- anticipate remarkable things from them in the years to come. No pressure ;)
Taylor you are a star, cannot wait to see what you tackle next year and beyond!
Back when we had this session I had no idea it would be my last for....months? It was the middle of what should have been a busy senior season with exciting grads to be getting photos to celebrate their 12 years of primary and high school. Photos for invitations and announcements. Photos to decorate grad party tables. So much has changed...so many of my seniors are waiting and on hold until everything is safe. Pictures will be here when it is over. Parties with dancing in the very streets. Even if proms and ceremonies are officially canceled don’t lose hope that things can be rescheduled- or that you will find new and more amazing ways to celebrate! I will see you all when it’s over. stay safe and prepare for the next act!
Chloe DVHS Class of 2020 | Anjeanette Photography Senior pictures Phoenix Arizona
/Bubbly and vivacious Chloe's senior session was right before the Pandemic- literally just weeks before the "stay at home" orders were issued for Arizona and I closed up shop as a precaution for everyone's safety! Don't worry, we were still 'legal' and I used a 200mm lens to social distance :)
The tough news couldn’t hold back Chloe’s smiles though. She is a determined young woman, ready to take on the world. Plans change, and things beyond our control come up throughout life. Chloe is ready to pivot, to adapt, to be strong.
Class of 2020 senior skip day champions- event cancellations do not mean you have to miss everything about senior year! Find the joy and zoom your friends- virtual games and hugs- get through these uncertain times together! When things are back to 'normal' and it is safe, we can reschedule and plan those special events as much as possible. If prom and graduation are permanently on hold- we can always have an amazing portrait session in your formals and caps and gowns when it is safe for everyone. This is a momentous time in history- it will be talked about for generations. Feeling broken-hearted that so much has changed- from sudden goodbyes to realizing the last time you were on campus already happened- that is normal. It's ok to feel grief, to mourn that loss. Know that like these hard times, that sadness and grief will not last. Be gentle with yourselves, know you are loved. Do what you can from online learning to personal enrichment, to naps or tik toks and Animal Crossing to take care of yourselves. Find ways to have peace and serenity. Journal these moments in writing, video, or art. You still have the power to make positive memories.
Gen Z is are poised to change the world. Not since the greatest generation that lived through WWII and the great depression has a group of young people who care been on target for success. Later when things are more settle we can celebrate.
Right now you are going through the fire- and that strength is what will make you resilient!
Logan SDOHS Class of 2020 | Anjeanette Photography Senior Anthem, Peoria, North Phoenix Arizona
/The commitment Logan continues to make with everything he does is pretty exceptional. He heading to NAU as a top academic achiever while part of the Academy of American Studies (SDOHS's 4-year program focusing on civic engagement and advanced placement classes), which earned him the coveted Lumberjack scholarship. Additionally, he is an Eagle Scout, and a trumpet player in his school's competitive marching and concert band. On top of all that- he has the mindset, dedication, and made the sacrifices to push his limits in bodybuilding fitness. Amazing!
Three of Logan's images were picked from guys senior photos from across the country to be featured on
Senior Guy Style's Instagram account!
Mya Class of 2020 | North Phoenix senior pictures by Anjeanette Photography
/Absolutely fantastic senior portrait session with Mya last week! This bright and vivacious senior wanted a half the session outside with purple smoke and sunshine, as well as some indoor studio shots where she could show off her fashion sense with amazing poses and flair! She glows! If she ever wanted a modeling career, this lady has talent in spades. Mya is a young motivated entrepreneur who created the interview vlog blog ISSA MVT to showcase impactful individuals. Check out a few of my favorite of Mya's senior pictures taken in beautiful Anthem and my home studio in North Phoenix near Westwing Mountain.
Michaela Class of 2020 | Peoria Az senior pictures by anjeanette Photography Phoenix
/I have know Michaela and her wonderful folks since we moved to Arizona and they welcomed us into their high school marching band family! Michaela is an accomplished musician and leader in her top-rated competitive performance band, and one simply cannot give enough thanks to her parents for all that they give to the heart and soul of all the kids, band directors, and staff. The phrase 'countless hours' gets thrown around a lot- in this case it is a lot more like 'countless months' I am a big fan of Michael's art, her sense of humor, and her adorable smile. The cutest nose wrinkle! She did an amazing job at her session, from styling to all the silly prompts I asked her to do :) SO honored and blessed that she and her folks chose me to be her senior photographer!
Julia Class of 2020 | Peoria Arizona Senior Pictures by Anjeanette Photography Phoenix (Copy)
/The mountains called Julia! Something adventurous and unusual- so we took a road trip to Rock Springs and Sunset Point for epic views and sunkissed wind in the hair moments. Julia is one of the esteemed Drum Majors at O'Connor, who helped lead her band in their return to Super State competition this fall. This spring she is performing in Regional concert band performances and auditioning for college music programs as a flutist.
Rock Springs (otherwise known as the "Pie Rest Stop" had little surprises around every corner, cute vignettes set up for weddings and events, tiny caves, and a mountain top view in the back. As well as excellent cream pie according to Julia and her family! After a little while, we raced the sun to the long grasses and vista just north of Sunset Point rest stop. It is no wonder why this spot is a favorite for photographers around the valley and beyond- and it was the perfect place to capture senior portraits of Julia who loves nature and the wind in her hair. It was chilly, but the warm glow of a deep sunset kept us warm enough until just after blue hour when we were able to get amazing views and sunbursts into the sky. I have often driven by this spot and longed for a session there each time. So happy that Julia felt the call of the long golden grasses there too and chose me to get photos of this special time in her life- graduating high school!
Projection: ra·di·ance in Music | Oonagh
/Above: Projection of original cover art for Neon Bible by Tracy Maurice and François Miron for Arcade Fire with Merge Records.
There has always been a place for rhythmic sounds that can communicate our feelings." Exploring your mind: Psychology
My daughter has a very hectic schedule. No, we really are not one of those who overschedule kid's, not that there is anything wrong with being an active family. She has passions and drive all her own thank you and we support them. But behind every drawing, every book or math problem has always been music. When daily life stress overwhelms her, she soothes with music either dancing with her headphones or drawing to music. When she is elated-music! No surprise she plays like a thousand instruments.
And in between, she puts up with me taking thousands of photos and documenting her passion and life. We had fun playing with a projector last week! On the occasion of Oonagh’s birthday, for the very very very tentatively titled "Oonagh's favorite songs" project we have been working on off and on for over a year. This in no way encompasses all the music she loves…hopefully the project will continue on!
Above: Projection of original art by JR: Everything Now installation for Arcade Fire. More about the artist JR and musical artists Arcade Fire here. This photography by Anjeanette Photography. Visit Arcade Fire
Above: Ólafur Arnalds albums “Re:Member” (in blue) and “For Now I am Winter” (grey).
A little about the images I photographed: For the B0RNS album, we built the cover design set with nothing but painted paper- even the white shirt is white lacey paper! Ok, ok the suit is fabric, and her hair obvs. Next for the remaining album or single track art homages, we used a projector, not Photoshop. I love PS, this just wasn’t how we got the album art up for this ;) Other tools used were strobe Flashpoint falshes, a triangle prism, plastic sheets and blue gel squares. Originally the idea to do this began from recent experiments with gel lighting, then later I looked it up and saw that there is so much truth to the saying "there is nothing new under the sun"- because it seems like everyone is getting some awesome artistic photography going with projectors recently!! Heck yeah! Don't worry about that, don't let the fact that there is nothing new that hasn't been done discourage you. Do it anyway, play with your art because it has never been done by YOU, and your voice like music is what unites us. SO, ANYWAY, I was checking out some Jake Hicks gel lighting tutorials on ProEDU (as recommended by David Byrd) ...and I saw a Jake Hicks projector mini tutorial. Then I started playing! I held up a piece of clear plastic for the ghosty white in two of these, and a prism for the one (bouncing it off the projector light because I was standing right next to it in that one- don't think it would work from another angle bc besides the strobe to light to light her face no light in the room) So you can totally get flare and prism and those effects really easily in PS and I do all the time, art is art! We were just playing and sometimes its fun to see what can happen “in real life” I tried a projector that was basically my phone in a fancy cardboard box and it did NOT get great results. We used an Epson digital for this that I borrowed from my husband's studio. The colour was fantastic! I ran into issues Jake mentions like chromatic abrasion on wall image (esp with BW lines etc) and the ‘screen door effect’ where you see pixels so I pushed the projector as close to her as possible and unsharpened (blurred) the focus a tiny bit and that helps. I would love to try with a film slide projector! I still have slides of my old work!! One part I love less but is basically a PART you cant control is shadows- so she def is going to cast a shadow duh hahahh! I didn’t want just straight ahead perspectives however so ya gotta live with those. A few others I used a second gelled strobe and that was really great. Sooooo much angling so that the strobe doesn’t wash out the projection! We got clear mod heels and the white painter coverall from Amazon. It was the smallest they had but still 10 sizes too big for my girl so there are a lot of pleats and a tape belt. Smoke and mirrors baby. Oooh, I should have used some mirrors! Staring camera info (I changed it up as needed throughout- play with it!) iso100, 35mm, f/1.4-2.8, 1/200ss Epson printer tethered to Mac using HDMI cord. Sometimes we messed with the perspective and blur knobs. All rights and respect go to the music and artistic directors and original artists of the original images! DIrect credit as I could find it below each image, original images projected are only belonging to the artists created them and those they have agreements with etc. None of the original artwork projected belongs to me..
Steven Class of 2020 | Phoenix Senior Pictures | Anjeanette Photography Arizona
/Steven is a kid after my old early 90's chick heart- at home in the city surround by sick art, hanging on garage buildings with friends messing around with cameras, skateboards, and ideas dreaming about the future. He is into authentic fashion and vintage clothing so he had some great pieces picked out- and yep I must be vintage because they were clothes many of my North Detroit friends would have worn 'back in the day'. I def think he has an awesome eye for threads!!
When they started looking for photos to match his unique rad personality, Steven and his mom looked to Insta for artistic style senior pics. I love Instagram- all the pretty photos- less of the drama and politics. So glad they found my seniors only IG in all the amazing Phoenix senior photography options! Steven and his family were fantastic, I am so happy to meet them and honored to capture some cool shots to celebrate Steven's last year of high school!
Ben Class of 2020 Shadow Mountain High | Paradise Valley Senior | Anjeanette Photography Az
/Awesome senior portrait session and awesome conversation. Great meeting up with Shadow Mountain Matador Ben for his senior session this month! We checked out the Scottsdale Civic Center plaza area with the incredible Contemporary Art Museum, a very, VERY, green grassy quad, and one of my favorites for golden honey light- the parking garage with an amazing view of historic Olde Towne Arizona! I met Ben a few years ago through the SMHS Marching band, where he is an accomplished trumpet player. Ban's band is a fantastic organization where kids learn, laugh, and find a home with music. For this year's Band Senior banners we designed custom posters on vinyl to hang in the stadium. We went for epic and determined expressions on blue to partially match their show theme of space- and it was no surprise to me when the Marching Matadors qualified in State Competition to moved onto Super States! During his session, I enjoyed chatting about cameras and gadgets, and hearing about Ben's adventures in New York with his family, his music, and GCU plans for the future! A bright future ahead for this sharp kid!
Autumn Class of 2020 | Phoenix Senior Portraits by Anjeanette Photography Peoria Az
/Amazing senior picture session with the amazing Autumn! We had been planning this session for a long time- Autumn is lifelong friends with one of my Class of 2019 grads Morgan, and her mom Christine and I had fun planning the perfect session for her! This lady is so poised and polished, with a gorgeous glowing smile and flawless looks- she sure made my job super easy! Such a pleasure meeting Autumn finally in real life, your a wonderful young woman and I am happy for all the future success you have headed your way girl!
Jake Class of 2020 | Roosevelt Row | Phoenix Senior grad portraits Anjeanette Photography Peoria Az
/Jake is just really effortlessly cool- like a little bit fashionable B0RNS, a little bit rock n roll- and classical pianist twist. Had a fantastic time shooting his senior portraits in downtown Phoenix at BeCoffee and hitting all the new the RoosRow murals. Awesome backdrop for an awesome guy!
His mom Kerry is an accomplished photographer as well, (check out Native SKy on IG) and we had a blast walking around posing him and setting off Enola Gaye Smoke bombs. How GQ IS this guy??? Great session Jake- thanks for choosing me as your senior photographer!
Project Lunacy | Shutterfest Photography conference | Anjeanette Photography Phoenix
/Took a few days off for the Project Lunacy photography conference sponsored by Shutter Magazine & Shutterfest created by Salvatore Cincotta Photography. There is always more to learn and new ways to grow by challenging your work as a photographer and artist through photography education, connecting with vendors, and networking with other professionals. I brought my own gear, but everyone also had an opportunity to use the Profoto B10 & B10 Plus - and while I love my Flashpoints it was nice to experiment with some other industry leaders in off-camera flash.
I had the chance to spend the first day in small groups at the Superstition Mountains with Sal himself, as well as ProPhoto reps and instructors, then spent day two soaking up Photoshop knowledge and gel lighting tips with instructor David Byrd. A fantastic way to get reinspired and amped up for part two of the fall & holiday season- and cannot WAIT to hone new techniques in this springs Senior season!
Models in order as pictured:
Madison Rieck (lights)
Te’Aria Jones (Blue/Purple Gels)
Emily Trosclair (blue)
Malia (black lace)
Anna Paula (magenta Pink)
Ladiluhve (red)
Project Lunacy sponsored by Shutter Magazine and Sal Cincotta
David Byrd of Reality Reimagined
Prophoto lighting and gear
2019 Fall Marching Band Season Scrapbook | SDOHS SMHS
/I have been in love with the marching arts for over 20 years- and this fall was no exception. Proud to have helped capture memories for Deer Valley School Districts Sandra Day O’Connor and District Invitational, as well as Paradise Valley Schools districts Shadow Mountain Marching Matadors! Can’t wait to start taking more keepsakes for bands in fall 2020!
The Marching Matadors
Proud of the Shadow Mountain High School Marching Matadors for finishing a successful season! The marching band performs at school pep assemblies, varsity football games (home and away), parades, and marching band invitationals and festivals. This year under the direction of Santa Clara Vanguard alumn Natan Simon, thay ended their season in November by being selected after state preliminaries for the 2019 ABODA State Marching Band Championship Super State Competition performing with marching bands from across the state of Arizona. This year's show was a fun alien-themed performance titled "Keep Looking Up" Every year this Paradise Valley high school band gets better and better, I can’t wait to see what they do next year!
Eagle Pride Band
Congratulations to the Eagle Pride Marching band on a successful marching season with their show "Wanderlust" under the direction of new fine Arts Music Director Amy Frost. The Sandra Day O'Connor high band trained from early July and back into back in Super State completion to complete their season, finishing 6th in the state of Arizona. This year Anjeanette Photography partnered with the OC band boosters to donated the design, photography, and printing for all 21 senior banners- the first time the band had banners on the main football field fences alongside Cheer, Pom, Football. It was fantastic to see the senior's faces as they saw their faces under the Friday Night Lights! there are a lot of kids on the field on Friday nights from Sports Therapy students to the student yearbook staff and teams...everyone out there is working hard and deserves recognition! I had a great time following the team as a part of the OC Media Team headed by Scott & Tracy Benjamin. My own daughter was a marching senior- so although I love all the kids I was above and beyond proud to see her perform from the sidelines. Wonderful memories were made for 200 plus students, parents, and staff. Excited to see where you go next- Go Eagles!
SDOHS Senior Night Program
Some pages excluded for privacy
Sofia Class of 2020 | Roosevelt Row Senior Session | Anjeanette Photography Peoria Az
/I was so excited to capture some downtown Phoenix artistic senior portraits with Sofia, future graphic designer and all-around cool kid. Now she is making this look like a professional shoot- she is flawless and effortless in her modeling. But let me tell you- it was HOT. We planned a session for after the heat and wouldn't you know it was a surprising high temp day. Hey even in PHX we have our cool months and normally plan for less intense days, it should have been high desert 70s- it was a shocking 100+. None of that phased how these photos turned out, Sofia KILLED her session!! We explored the Roosevelt Row murals and even came upon a Helvetica type font tag to match her gorgeous hair that made this art students designers day!