We were making Alexis’ senior portraits on a crisp, fall morning on the mountain. I’m not sure why, but I jokingly asked her, “Do you have a song you’d like to sing?” I think I expected Happy Birthday or Row Row Row Your Boat, or even “No thanks!” Instead, she responded, “I don’t actually sing in front of other people.” Looking down to shift a camera setting, I replied, “OK, no problem!”
The next thing I knew, I heard something I never expected to hear. My head snapped up as Alexis suddenly began belting out a rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” that gave me chills. She sang like she felt every single note in her soul, each word in the cells of her being. All I could do was stare, my mouth agape, wiping the tears that streamed down my face.
Alexis has been dealt more than her share, working through health challenges that someone her age should not have to manage. Yet, here on this sunny, autumn morning, she sang like the world was hers.
IT. BLEW. ME. AWAY.
That clear, strong voice carrying across the meadow, filled my heart. I still cannot believe that she doesn’t sing on stage or anywhere she can be heard. Somehow, she trusted me with that poignant performance. That trust, combined with her phenomenal voice, was a precious gift. I felt very privileged to receive it.
Flagstaff Family Portrait Photographer • Flagstaff Maternity Pregnancy Photographer • Flagstaff Newborn Photographer • Flagstaff Child Photographer • Flagstaff Senior Portrait Photographer • Flagstaff Couples Photography
Kristen Dacey Iwai of KDI Photography is a full-time professional portrait photographer based in Flagstaff, Arizona with decades of experience. Making portraits of families, pregnancy, newborns, babies, children, and high school seniors in her downtown studio and on location, she serves clients from Flagstaff, Sedona, Tuba City, Winslow, Payson, Page, Williams, Prescott, Mesa, Scottsdale, Phoenix, Arizona
