India Hetherington

Chamblee Charter High School

I pulled into the parking lot of the Johns Creek Studio location with a pit in my stomach. I was about to complete the ardous task of taking my senior photos, and I didn’t know what to expect. I heard from my older friends that this was a special time. I had almost overcome the mountain that is four years of high school, and now it was time to pose for a photo to remember the years by.

When I entered Cady Studios, I was greeted with smiles and cheerful hellos from the photographers and receptionists. My twin sister and I were whisked away into the first step of the process which was taking our cap and gown photos. We were awed by the rack of multi-colored gowns and the wall of tassels.  I was suprised to see the amount of attention my sister and I were paid as we worked our way through each station.

The photographers smiled and cracked jokes to make the process less uncomfortable. For the first time in a long time, the spotlight was on me, and it was nice to feel cared for. I was being showered with genuine compliments and honest opinions on things like which way to part my hair and which color lip gloss to use. When I shot my Vogue scene, I honestly felt like I was a celebrity.

The Cady Studio staff helped me learn to take a compliment in a way that isn’t vain, but one that is purely meant to make you smile. I have already seen a personal transformation during my senior year in that I know when to take a break from school and do something for myself. I will be able to look back at these portraits as the moment that I learned to take care of myself!