Ethel | Oceano Senior Portraits

It was an unusual spin on the typical 'senior portraits' but I gotta say, I may have enjoyed it more.

Ethel's grandson, Scott, hired me to do her "senior portraits" as a gift for her 92nd birthday. Ninety-TWO. It blows my mind. And talking to her, you wouldn't ever guess it. She is a spitfire. She's full of life, joyful, funny, and just genuinely interesting. She told me she recently got back from visiting her daughter who just celebrated her 69th birthday. I don't think I've ever been more honest when I told her I didn't think she was old enough to have a child that age!

When I got there for the photoshoot she was busy in her craft room working on sewing a zipper onto baby clothes. She's made these sweaters for all her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and I gotta say I'm a little jealous. I would love if my somedays kids got things this cute! (And lovingly made!)

Ethel told me I was silly for taking photos of her hands, but I can't help it. Hands tell a story all their own. Your life, the work you do, the injuries you sustain here and there with your hands are all preserved in the way your hands look now. The sun you've been exposed to, the jewelry you wear. You use your hands every day, for big things and little, so even the stories you don't remember are remembered in your hands.

Her and her husband inherited this property from his uncle, and once upon a time her parents lived in the motorhome you see behind her in this photo. So much of their family history is part of this house and property, including the brick in the front porch that was from their church.

I had so much fun talking with Ethel, and listening to her stories. She brought out this photo of her husband and was goofy, hiding behind and then laughing at herself. And then as she turned it to look at it she couldn't help but comment on how good looking he was.

This shed was once the meditation house that her aunt would sit in. Now in somewhat disrepair it's not used but it sure adds character to the property and made a great spot for her photos.

Remember when I said she was a spitfire. I wasn't kidding. Not only does she drive this thing around, I tried to help her get down from it (a good two foot drop) she shooed me away and told me that she was just gonna jump -- and then she did. I only hope that I'm in her shape when I'm in my 70's, let alone my 90's.

Then and now. In her 20's she modeled on an airplane and the photo still hangs on her wall. Along with many other photos of family that all come with a story. She's even started writing her life story in a journal and showed me several parts and photos of it.

Senior portraits are my new favorite thing. There's nothing like getting to hear these stories that so few people know. Stories that aren't necessarily written down anywhere, stories that might need reminders to be prodded up from some depth of memories, but stories that mean so much to someone. Everything Ethel has is a reminder of a story, and it was so fun hearing them all and talking to her about her life and her family's.

#SeniorPortrait #PismoBeachSeniorPortrait