Kourtnee + Ashley, Sister Portraits–Old Auburn

Over half my life I have known Kourtnee. We met in Junior High. It really doesn’t get much more awkward than Junior High. Kourtnee had just moved from the east coast and apparently wearing VERY over-sized T-shirts purchased from the Big and Tall store was cool where she came from. I wore my Dad’s white tube socks pulled up just below my knee, I was on the drill team, I wore a bite splint (never seen one? Best to leave it that way), and I am pretty sure I had a hot pink jacket….that was puffy. I remember being drawn to this gorgeous girl who swam in her shirts, wore dark lipstick and had the prettiest smile I had ever seen. She was smart, funny and weird. I like weird people. They are interesting and usually not afraid to go against the grain. I have so many fond memories with Kourtnee from that time in my life. We shared everything with one another. I would rollerblade to her house and we would stay up late watching Drop Dead Fred or Beaches. We made up code names for boys we liked and created a scrapbook to go along with it (which followed us into high school). For Christmas and Birthdays we would both spend just about all the money we had to buy the other person thoughtful gifts. We both had little sisters whom we were not particularly fond of at the time…..sorry about that Ashley and Stephanie. We both made up for it though, in later years.

Kourntee works now as an engineer on a ship in Hawaii and I see her about once every year. I was so excited when her parents asked me to take pictures of Kourtnee and her sister Ashley during her visit here. I don’t remember another shoot where I have laughed so much. Tears rolling down my face, bellied over, kind of laughter. I am certain to any onlookers we were quite a sight. My memories of Ashley were as the little sister, but she is a young woman now. Ashley is hilarious, well-spoken, smart and gorgeous. It was so much fun to capture the friendship of two sisters.