I saw Samantha one day while shopping at Anthropologie where she works. When I saw her I kept telling Alin, “I need to photograph that girl. There is just something about her.” I’ve learned in the past few years that when I get a gut feeling like that, not only is it a rare feeling, but I should always go for it. In a nutshell, I complimented her like crazy on her style (which she says is a mixture of Anthro + thrift), gave her my card, and waited to hear from her. She contacted me soon after and I was glad she did. I told her I wanted to not only photograph her but that I wanted to photograph a day in her life, surrounded by the people that were important to her. She told me her mother would be moving to “The Middle of Nowhere, Alabama) and I knew that was when I wanted to come over. She also had me come to lunch with her father at their favorite Korean BBQ where they told me that bulgogi was a family special that her father loves to cook. It’s his “thing” apparently.

The best part of the entire day for me was laughing like I haven’t laughed in a long time with her uncles, friends, & mom while moving, to the point where my face & cheeks hurt.

After spending the day with Samantha’s father, mother, funny uncles & friends (who helped them all move), we ended the day doing some sunset portraits at Waukegan Harbor. It was so beautiful there. Seeing the lighthouse and boats reminded me of Charleston and the other Carolina beaches we used to always visit back home. I truly feel like I have made a new friend in Samantha and her family, and hope to spend time with them again soon.

[audio:http://carolineghetes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/04-The-Sea-Is-Calling.mp3|titles=04 The Sea Is Calling]