Distinguished historical leaders have sparked Ty’s curiosity and occupied his intellect since he was a young boy. And it was this fascination with people and events of the past that set the scene for his senior photo session.

Ty arrived at his pre-session consultation armed with specific pieces of inspiration. He handed me hard copies of notated pictures which indicated the different aspects of each that he liked. He pointed out preferences for clothing, props, colors, and even some posing elements. As he finished, his dad searched for a word that summarized the feel of Ty’s thoughts and inspiration. “Distinguished” was the adjective that came to mind, and it was perfect.

Ty’s examples included noble historical figures. But his planning also involved great men less known to most of the world. Recognizing that it is not only the icons of our bigger, collective history that shape us, Ty specifically wanted to pay homage to two of his great grandfathers. Men distinguished in their own right, Ty included them, in the form of framed portraits, in his photo shoot.

Ty’s senior session, a weaving of the past into the present, gives it a timeless sensibility. These images both live in the current moment and will outlive fads. Though he is probably not thinking about it in this way, he now has a bit of his own legacy to pass on to future generations. And only time will tell what stories will be remembered and recounted when his descendants look back at them.