In honor of my son's 18th birthday, we planned a photo shoot. (What else do we have to do?) We listed our props: mortarboard, mask, bathrobe, guitar, and TP. All of these items represent what's presently going on in his life. Of course I wasn't alone in the concept because I've seen it done a few times in the last weeks since Michigan schools were closed for the rest of the year. That almost caused me to skip it. But this is part of our story, too.

As a portrait photographer, I work to capture my subjects as they are. I don't want to modify reality or costume them up beyond their own comforts. So, this was a fun exercise to put a vision together. While processing, I was giddy because as morose as the concept is, we nailed it. I wanted these images to evoke a lasting feeling. When my son looks back on this birthday and botched graduation, I want him to remember why it was this way.

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