With every new season of high school senior portraits, I ask myself what I can do to approach things differently. The last thing I want is to find myself applying the same formula to every single shoot. I want to show up for each person who trusts my vision, and meet them halfway: somewhere between my creative impulses and their unapologetic personality. Lately, that means seeking out backdrops, poses, and compositions that I haven’t tried before, which has been very rewarding!

When Jane reached out to me last spring, she was looking for something natural yet colorful. And while I’m not against working under cloudy skies, I am so happy we got such beautiful sunlight! ☀️

“Diane, 11:30 a.m., February 24th. Entering the town of Twin Peaks.“ 🌲🦉☕️

If you know me, then you probably know that when a world profoundly speaks to me, it’s only a matter of time before I’m completely entranced — hungry to uncover its darkest secrets and interpretations for myself. I begin to live and breathe it: soundtracks rule my everyday, faces seeping into my dreams until I have no choice but to create something of my own. David Lynch’s world of Twin Peaks has that effect on me.

It almost feels silly to admit, but I’ve always been fascinated by darkness: in its simplest visual form, but also in all its unknowns. It can be intoxicating, sometimes comforting, and it can tear you apart. I knew Twin Peaks would change the trajectory of my creative process when Agent Dale Cooper not only listened to the dark of his dreams, but was not afraid to make it known.

Reality has rules, but spirituality appears to and through us in countless forms. It’s hard to imagine one could describe their strangest dreams to every brain on earth and expect them all to understand with flawless clarity. In my own life, there is still so much of my interior world that I haven’t explained to people. I know it’s primarily for me, even when that space can be absurd beyond articulation. But since Lynch’s passing, I feel encouraged to translate those interior experiences, regardless of their making sense. After all, Lynch was well aware of life (and thus art) not always making sense.

His messages, both visual and verbatim, remind me that each of us are worlds — universes full of weird and wondrous visions. If I’ve internalized anything from his filmography, it is that visions deserve to live.

#TwinPeaks #DavidLynch #MarkFrost #TwinPeaksDay

Know someone who's starting their senior year of high school this fall? Share this with them so they can book while I still have availability! 📸