Chicagoland Photographer | Emily's Golf Session
Sometimes you just have to relax after all your accomplishments...ha!
“Golf has always been a huge part of my life. We live on a local course, White Hawk Country Club, and I have been playing golf with my dad, older sister and eventually my younger brother ever since I was old enough to hold a plastic club and toddle down the fairway. For the past four years, I’ve played on my high school team. Since golf is a family passion, I wanted to include a photo shoot on the golf course with the rest of my senior pictures. My dad has been my coach and playing partner from the very beginning, so I wanted him to help me plan the poses/props. It was important to both of us to have them taken at White Hawk because we have such special memories playing the course together for the past 17 years.”
The Dream Team - Emily & her Dad Dave
“The clothes that I brought along to this shoot were pretty simple- my high school golf uniform (red skirt and white collar shirt), my varsity jacket, jeans and a tee shirt, and my trusty red converse (as seen in my other shoot). I also chose a fun and flirty dress. I got the idea to wear a dress on the golf course from two of my teammates who took senior pictures swinging clubs in dresses and I thought it looked really cool.”
“For the first pictures on the green, we brought a couple of different flags along from golf courses that are special to me. The red flag is from White Hawk. The blue, checkered flag is from Prairie View Golf Course, the site of the 2014 & 2015 IHSAA State Finals. I helped my high school team make it to the Girls Golf State Finals for the past two seasons, the first time a team at our school has been there in 22 years. The last flag is from Pebble Beach, a legendary golf course in California. I was chosen as one of just 81 kids from the entire United States to play in the Nature Valley First Tee Open.”
“After that, we did some pseudo-golfing shots, slow-motion swings, and what Carmen has affectionately dubbed the “ethereal golfist” pose. Here I’m holding my 56 degree Vokey wedge because it’s my favorite club around the green. My dad and I wanted to have pictures taken with my driver, a TaylorMade M1. Golfers like to hit a driver because it’s the biggest club in the bag. I like to hit my driver because I can hit it really far. I wanted this series of shots to highlight my fierce competitor look. I’m typically pretty quiet and easy-going. But during competition, I’m all business. We got lucky with some really cool storm clouds overhead. Next, we went to the fairway of the next hole, where we could still catch some of the quickly fading sunlight. I put on jeans and my varsity jacket, and laid down in the grass with some of my golf clubs and some of the awards I’ve won over the last couple of years.”
“I’ve just returned from The Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach, California, one of the most beautiful and iconic golf courses in the world. I was one of 81 junior players chosen from the United States. I was paired with PGA Champion Tour legend, Hale Irwin. I was really nervous about playing this course with such an icon of the sport. But Mr. Irwin was as nice as can be. He calmed me down when I was nervous by telling stories about his grandchildren and by relating funny things that happened to him while he was playing golf. He also became a wonderful mentor and teacher. He taught me how to read the greens (the fastest and most difficult greens I’d ever played!) and gave me numerous putting hints and mental game tips. I played pretty well the first day, and really well the second day, the highlight of which included making a long birdie putt in the fog on the last hole. We didn’t win the tournament but more important than any golf score was the awesome bond and relationship Mr. Irwin and I formed. Playing with him at Pebble Beach was a dream come true. It was an amazing week!”
“Once again, Carmen did a marvelous job. Despite the fact that she had very little knowledge of golf, she was open and willing to work with us to capture various aspects of the sport. She was excited to try different poses and lenses until we got just the right effect. It’s a joy to work with her because she has a very creative eye and she found ways to enhance the ideas we had. She loves to collaborate and will do anything possible to capture just the right mood and effect. I love the fact that my senior pictures are unique just to me. Carmen, my dad and I all worked together to capture parts of the sport that are special to our family. I’m so happy with the results! Carmen is truly a gifted artist. Thanks, Carmen, for another great photo shoot! You helped make my senior year senior special and memorable.”
Thank you Emily for another amazing shoot and letting me get a glimpse into the world of golfing. Congratulations on your well deserved accomplishments! I always have the best time during my photo shoots with your family! Seems to me as though you have the best parents in the world! Looking forward to following your journey after high school - for now enjoy every last minute of it!
- Carmen