90 Years Young | St. Louis Event Photographer

Friends and family gathered to surprise John for his birthday. This wasn’t any ordinary birthday because John had recently turned 90, a milestone not many have the opportunity to do. Festivities were in full swing when I arrived. John’s daughter, Rose, had booked me to capture the family all together as they celebrated John’s life.

Rose and I had a great phone conversation prior to the surprise party to discuss specifics of what she wanted. She shared how excited she was that all of her family would be attending the party, which is a rarity with busy schedules and growing grandkids.

Rose bragged about her dad during the phone call, sharing that he had always been active as a cattle farmer and continued to be even recently putting up a fence on his property. Most importantly, she shared the impact he had on his family, caring his nephew and nieces and being a father to them as well.

As I entered the room, I could sense this would be a fun group to capture. Rose helped to get the family together in their respective groups and I captured photos of them all, some more silly than others. Once group photos were complete, I spent the rest of the time capturing candid moments and details of the party. I also followed John around the room and was impressed by his quiet humility. Stanislaw Jerzy Lec said, “Youth is the gift of nature, but age is a work of art.” While John wouldn’t say it, he is a masterpiece, beautifully created through his life of hard work and love to his family over the last 90 years.