Can you tell she’s from New York?
Graduation || Insia
Can you tell she’s from New York?
grad photos
Can you tell she’s from New York?
I met Alegna at the San Jose courthouse Alegna during her 2L summer. I hosted a small gathering for women of color and after learning about her career aspirations, I connected her with partner who worked in the field. When she reached out to me again months later asking me to take her graduation photos, I couldn’t say no. And the cherry on top is that her fiancé, Ray, also graduated from USF the same year with a masters degree in education. Nothing makes me more proud than seeing two Latinxs with DEGREES!! Felicidades!
When Fernando’s niece asked me to take her senior portraits, my first reaction was “I am cool enough for Gen Z!!” We planned our date around the holidays and got to work. The Claremont colleges served as our backdrop, and they put in work providing beautiful old architecture and maintained greenery for the photos. Mayra came in the cutest preppy outfit that paired nicely with her surroundings. And I have to say, she started out a little camera shy, but after an hour she was hitting poses like it was no one’s business! I am honored to have had a little part in her celebration of this milestone (and I am really looking forward to coming back to this campus to take more photos)!
After an abrupt end to our law school experience, the bar exam, and almost a year of practice, it was great to see Henna again! As a double bear, this return to campus was quite sentimental for her, but I am so glad that I was able to help her capture the magic of Berkeley in a way that she could take back with her to New York. Something about this overcast day lent the creamiest colors and softest lighting that make Henna’s striking feature POP. I can’t wait to see how the proud parents react to these mementos!
Although every session is fun, this one was made a little extra special by the group of students who cheered for Rachel as she posed in front of the big Berkeley Law sign. Rachel was all smiles, laughs, and shakas! After we mostly wrapped up we spent a few minutes chatting about the bar exam and hung out long enough to catch the lights come on and get some moody dusk vibes. Congrats Rachel!
In classic Anya fashion, my absolute favorite shot from this session was the one where I had to stop Tempestt on the way to our second location because the way the light was filter through the redwoods was gorgeous. She’s gorgeous, the photos are gorgeous, but those ones with the trees… *chef’s kiss*
So Micaela actually “graduated” last year, but I had to make her grad photo dreams come true. Under the guise of a catch up dinner, and with the co-conspiring of Javi and Fernando, I was able to surprise Micaela with the grad photos she never got to take. This was also my first session with my new lens filter, and I don’t think I can ever go back. The colors! The creaminess! The glow! I can’t wait to see how this weekend’s sessions turn out.