I think he was 6′ 1,” and about 180 pounds — which is basically typical of an average man, but this kid is 14!! LOOK OUT! He has a passion and he’s going after it. I had fun with Cody Fleming and his mother Jennifer in the studio today to show me his wrestling skills. First let me be honest, I wasn’t thrilled about this thing they wear called a singlet, but honestly, it really wasn’t as small as I imagines. Swimmers have it way worse in their speedo’s!
It’s can be awkward when sports players, especially guys, arrive for pictures. They’re unsure of what I’ll ask them to do, they’re with their moms, having your picture taken makes them nervous, and think I’ll pop the question … Can you say cheese! Lol! NOT A CHANCE! Stop right here! I, Karen Holubek, specialize in High School Seniors – we DO NOT say cheese! Attitude, spirit, and what is inside of a person is what I’m after. Saying Cheese is like throwing a blanket over a sofa — you can still use it, but you the personality is blocked.
Oh, back to Cody, he came in, dressed quickly and we shot about 10 photographs. He’s such a soft gentle spirit, but I knew he must have something in him or he wouldn’t be winning all of these championships! So with a little prodding, I finally got the look needed for this Extreme Sports shot — and I LOVE it! Actually, I believe he was a little surprised how quickly it all went down.
This image is an extraction, which means I photographed it on a white background then took that away. This left me Cody to design around. A wrestling ring look, definitely some green flares, a metal building and smoke — definitely smoke. With a few pops in photoshoot and a tad more grunge, the poster was complete — and Cody feels like a million dollars!
He should feel like a million dollars because listen to this… he’s won three national titles, eight state titles, and has been names All American Status seven times. This kid is going places and I can’t wait to watch!