Athleticism is defined by Merriam -Webster as “athletic ability: the combination of qualities (such as speed, strength, and agility) that are characteristic of an athlete.”

Everyone agrees that ballet is an art form. Creativity, beauty, personal expression, and musicality all play a part in the rhythmic movements that make up a dance . Hair, makeup, and costumes are accoutrements that bring artistic interpretation to a performance. Ballerinas, with their supreme control and grace, seem to move without effort. They are so convincing that the audience is able to overlook the athleticism that underlies even the most basic changes in position.

Rarely is ballet referred to as a sport. But consider the physical feats the human body requires in a practice or performance. When you examine what it takes–strength, endurance, speed, flexibility, agility, balance, and mental persuasion–to pull it off, it becomes readily apparent that ballet is both an art form and an athletic endeavor. The daily hours of training, the years of learning new skills and fine-tuning older skills push the limits of physical abilities. And then the dancer executes moves so automatically that she can interpret the music in addition. This process then sculpts the body itself into an art form. Ballet is the epitome of artistic athleticism.

Both artistic and athletic performance require discipline. Here we have a young ballerina who sacrifices a large portion of her time to pursue her love of ballet. In doing so, she satisfies human needs for beauty, artistic appreciation, and athletic pursuits. Undoubtedly it leaves her both physically and mentally exhausted–and fulfilled.

Generations of women look to the generations before them for wisdom, guidance, strength, and that which they value most–love.

Affection comes easily in this family and it has clearly been that way for decades. Before this session even began, emotion took over the shoot. These three ladies love being with each other. And while this day entailed a photo shoot, having beautiful photos of them all together was about more than the images. It was about taking time to enjoy each other while creating tangible portraits. It just so happens that photos documented this particular time together.

They say that beauty is only skin deep, but maybe that depends on one’s definition of beauty. Physical features are one thing, but beauty is also about caring and connecting. Beauty is confidence, intelligence, and the ability to see beauty in others. While one can see clearly the outward resemblances between these ladies, not all of their family attributes are inherited genetically. Many are passed down in the way of stories and time spent together. They are shared via tears and laughter. They are the hugs and kisses bestowed upon each other.

Imagine hanging out with your mother, your daughter, or your mother AND daughter, each pampered, all looking and feeling gorgeous. On top of that, you spend that time physically and emotionally connecting. You laugh, you remember, and you make new memories. But this time, a camera catches it. Photographs develop, stunning images of beauty and love. You hold and share them for the rest of your life. Your generation passes them to the next and the next generation to the following generation. So in the end, you have images you treasure for the rest of your life. And you can cherish the idea that future generations will see and appreciate their connections to the past. And so the passing down of love continues. The photos become greatest hand-me-downs ever.

What if your next family photo shoot was not so much something to cross off of the to-do list, but rather an experience in and of itself? What if a photo shoot became a memorable occasion all its own?

Light, bright, energetic. Josie. Nothing to see except the beauty facing you–and that is everything.

In a world that is increasingly complex, simplicity is a breath of fresh air. It is sophisticated and truthful, peaceful and intimate. It allows one to see the person before you without surrounding noise and its potential to distract from the client’s story. Simplicity makes one stand out, rather than get lost in a crowd of details. That is what these portraits are about.

Josie is an unassuming model of beauty. That is, she was a bit shy about her senior photos–even to the point of self-deprecation. What she may not have realized is that she didn’t have to be a professional model to document, in photographs, this special time in her life. She was all smiles in short order and it required not an ounce of pretense.

This was the perfect setup to show off Josie’s beautiful skin and personality. It’s clean, fun, elegant, and classic with a bit of an edge. Additionally, Josie is center-stage with nothing to divert attention from her. One might wonder if anything could be more plain than a white backdrop. But in the end it’s not the backdrop that the viewer wants to see. The simple background, together with the lighting and posing, allows her story to unfold rather than dictates it. She does not need to perform to fit the scene. She makes the scene herself.

Josie needs nothing fancy to show her inner and outer beauty. Beauty is simple and simplicity is beautiful.