Photos - Ryan

Ryan was a bit of a pain in my side when she was a cadet. I don't know how many times I caught her with her cover cocked back on her head. Otherwise, she always looked sharp, so I would adjust her cover and let it go at that.

She graduated with a BS in biology in 3.5 years, not an easy thing to do at VMI. She graduated in December, and I was sorry to see her go.

Just before the May graduation of her class, one of her brother rats killed himself. She messaged me on Facebook to find out what was going on. I had her call me. When her grandfather died, I took her rat to the funeral, and she had me sit right behind the family so she could reach back for my hand when she needed to.

She would visit me whenever she was on post and knew that she was the only person who could use my visitor parking place. She became a member of the family—everyone loved her.

I've worked with her three times, and each session produced some gorgeous photos. Credit the girl.

She married a retired NCO a few years ago, and they had two little boys. Now she's a single mom, living in the Carolinas.

For our first session, we met at a park near where she lived. She wore Lilly Pulitzer, of course. The girl loved Lilly. She looked amazing, though very nervous.

All went well, as we walked around the park, stopping at scenic spots along the way. The more we walked, the more comfortable she became, and her normal playful side began showing through my lens. Her poses became more natural, and I had to correct her habit of standing on the side of her right foot numerous times.

The poses she assumed were purely hers; I gave her almost no instruction. By the end of the day, she looked like a seasoned professional.

One shot I took that day became one of my favorite photographs I have ever taken. She was standing under a tree, and the sun hitting her face was filtered by the leaves. I loved the look of it. Surely there is room in this flash-filled, studio-lit photography world for such a shot. I kept it as I shot it.