14 Going on 15: Celebrating The heart of the Teenage Years

I met Giuliana when she was just 4 years old. Her mom had hired me to do family pictures, and right away, “Gigi,” like most 4-year-olds, was full of curiosity. She ran around, jumped, and played, and I remember that day like it was yesterday. She was wearing a little dress paired with boots. I asked her mom if she happened to have the picture from our first photo session saved digitally somewhere. I’m sure I have it on one of my external drives, but searching for it would probably take me longer than it took Rome to be built. Thankfully, her mom did have it! Fortunately, I have a few from other sessions saved on drives that weren’t stored away. You’ll be able to see Gigi’s pictures from years past at the bottom of this blog post.

Fast forward 10 years, and here we are again. Same girl, same combo of dress and boots, but now she’s standing a couple of inches taller than me and getting ready to start high school. Seeing her in front of my camera again feels surreal. Saying that time is a thief feels like an understatement. These years truly fly.

This photoshoot was extra special as we celebrated her 14th birthday and marked the exciting announcement of her upcoming quinceañera. She even had a cake decorated with gold dust, which made for such a fun touch. We had to do several takes with it because every time she tried to blow the dust off, it went everywhere—but it was worth it for the sparkle!

Wishing Gigi all the best as she takes on her next adventure. It’s been such a joy to photograph her over the years, and I can’t wait to see where life takes her. From tiny boots to high school halls…what a journey!

Giuliana throughout the years.