Seniors Photo Shoot at The Shack

A young man rode a dinosaur to lunch today and Kat Mack got it all on camera. Session photography is a lot more than posing in front of a fancy camera. It's about working with a professional photographer with a creative vision and impromptu artistic execution. We made all that happen and more with a photo shoot for rising high school seniors at a local burger joint. The Shack is situated on the border between country and suburbia and houses a collection of funky furniture, garden sculptures, old signs, painted fences and tchotchkes. The building itself looks like an old time general store and standing in front of it is a vintage purple Dino the Dinosaur from the Flintstones. One of the senior boys was a sport and got on the Dino to pose for some silly pictures. Adolescent boys are usually reserved but the group photo shoot in a funky space really got everyone into the act. One of the senior's mother noted the kids had broken out of their comfort zones. Another senior guy transformed into a cool cat character with Blues Brothers sunglasses and hat, posing next to a repainted school bus. When the two guys posed together, their mothers recalled how they've been friends since kindergarten. The two girls on the shoot are on drill team together and posed in their team regalia, including white hats and boots. One of the girls also posed next to antique Coke machines on the front porch of the old general store while wearing a classic look: white t-shirt, blue jean shorts and red Keds. The picture could be from the 1950s as easily as present day. All of the rising seniors posed together in front of a giant folk art Texas flag, then the mothers posed with their children, and we wrapped up the shoot, which was a special event hosted by Kat Mack Photography for the studio's Senior VIPs and guests. Now, it was time to get down to the real business at hand: burgers. We talked about the seniors' favorite parts of the shoot and they really liked the images they saw so far and having their parents join them in posing too. They predicted the dinosaur rider would be the most prolific on social media with the photographer's pictures. They also discussed the locations of their upcoming shoots, including downtown and Hermann Park. They are getting excited for senior year and want to make the most of it. After we scarfed down huge burgers and cheesy fries with brisket, we chatted about what the seniors might want to study in college and one girl said nutrition. Boy, the whole group then looked a little guilty about the lunch calories. We loved getting to know these seniors a little more as they gear up for their final year of high school. We cannot wait to do this again and hope to do so in the next couple of weeks.