McGill-Toolen Catholic Senior Portraits

Nicholas was a toddler when I took my first photography class. At that time, he was the youngest of the Gelineau cousins and couldn’t really protest being a model for pictures. Since I learned to shoot on a film camera, I remember being so anxious to see if the photos actually turned out after shooting roll after roll at family gatherings.

Since he was a young child, Nicholas was always patient when it came to being in front of the camera. In the past few years he has also assisted me on photoshoots and helped me with some office work. He knows how much I love taking photos and was game for wandering around downtown Mobile looking for good portrait spots for his senior pictures.

Ironically, we had barely begun the session when someone walking by asked, “Are you a Gelineau?” Nicholas and I were both stunned. “We both are,” was our reply. It turned out that the lady who just happened to be passing by where we were shooting was a longtime friend of our grandparents. She recognized me even though I hadn’t seen her in years! It was such a Mobile moment!

Thanks to Anne, our grandparents’ longtime friend, we were able to shoot in a courtyard that we would have never had access to if it weren’t for this encounter! The photos from this spot turned out to be some of my favorites from the session.

It seems unbelievable that Nicholas is already old enough to graduate from high school! Tonight he will walk across the stage and receive his diploma from McGill-Toolen Catholic High School. I’ll be there with my camera capturing the happy moment for our family and probably wiping away tears from my eyes. Congratulations Nicholas! You make your family so proud!