Katherine just graduated 8th grade. The youngest of three sisters, her parents are probably trying to figure out how time went by so quickly. I get it. You blink and they're grown. She's a super talented musician, playing multiple instruments. She's really funny. I love the crazy videos she makes! And she's definitely the kind of friend you want your kid to have. I'm glad shes's friends with my own children.  

Kat's mom called me because she needed some updated images of her. I had a small time frame while my own youngest daughter was at swim class one evening late last summer. "It'll be quick," I said. "I'll just take a few," I said. Thirty minutes later in golden light, I had a lot choices. It was hard to pick which ones to show, but I promised to narrow it down. I know it's overwhelming to pick which images you love from your session. It's even harder for me! But I persevered and got it down to the best ones. She ended up with so many great images in her collection. The light was perfect. Katherine was energetic and vivacious. Every shot I took was just so amazing!! 

So, in Gallery Park in Glenview, Illinois, we tried a few of my tried and true nooks and got just what her mom was looking for. These were some of my favorite images for all of last year. 

soncelanda-chicago-teen-portraits-1Katherine is photographed at Gallery Park in Glenview, Illinois, by Sonce Landa. Golden light filters the frame in tall grass. soncelanda-chicago-teen-portraits-2A black and white rendition lends a classic feel to this portrait in tall grass taken in Gallery Park in Glenview, Illinois, by Sonce Landa. soncelanda-chicago-teen-portraits-3Amber hues of sunset light up the tall grass at a portrait session in Gallery Park in Glenview, Illinois, taken by Sonce Landa. Beautiful golden light filters the frame and lights up the tall grass in the park. The grass gets beautifully tall at the end of summer and is filled with wild flowers. 

soncelanda-chicago-teen-portraits-4Katherine poses on a bridge in Gallery Park, backlit by evening sun. Taken by Sonce Landa Photography located in Glenview, Illinois. soncelanda-chicago-teen-portraits-5Black and white processing with exaggerated grain lends a timeless feel to this portrait of a Chicago area teen for her eighth grade portrait session at Gallery Park, in Glenview, Illinois. Taken by Sonce Landa Photography. soncelanda-chicago-teen-portraits-6A sassy pose with hands on hips and crossed feet show just how grown up this teen is becoming. The platform shoes help too. Taken on a bridge in Gallery Park, in Glenview, Illinois on the North Shore by Sonce Landa Photography. There are a few bridges in the park and we used them to our advantage. Then we hit my favorite tree on the bank of Lake Glenview. Using a 70-200 lens allowed me to capture the blowing leaves of the willow tree in the foreground, while leaving Kat tack sharp on tree. 

soncelanda-chicago-teen-portraits-7Katherine, an eighth grader, poses by a willow tree on the bank of the lake in Gallery Park in Glenview, Illinois. Warm light from the setting sun provides a touch of flare and is accentuated with post-processing in Alien Skin. soncelanda-chicago-teen-portraits-9A teen poses by a willow tree in Gallery Park in Glenview, Illinois, located in the north suburbs of Chicago.

soncelanda-chicago-teen-portraits-8Katherine poses on the bank of Lake Glenview in Gallery Park, located in the suburbs of Chicago. soncelanda-chicago-teen-portraits-10A barefoot teen that loves nature and reading poses by a willow tree in Glenview, Illinois at Gallery Park. Taken by Sonce Landa. A 70-200 lens provides beautiful depth of field, catching the blowing leaves in the foreground. At the end, Katherine took off her heels and stood barefoot at the base of a giant willow tree. I loved that her mom ordered a large metal print that now hangs above the piano that Kat loves to play. 

Thanks for allowing me to capture you, Katherine. I hope you always treasure these images. I wish you the best on your high school career. You're gonna rock it! And thank you, Leslie, my beautiful friend, for trusting me to capture your daughters throughout this time in their lives. 

xoxo

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Song: All About Your Heart 

Music and Lyrics by Mindy Gledhill via Triple Scoop Music; produced with Animoto