Sisters, Sparkles & School Dances: A Charles Town Middle School Homecoming Shoot

Every once in a while, I get a session request that makes me do a double-take — this time it was homecoming portraits… for middle schoolers. Yes, you read that right. Who knew middle schools were hosting full-on homecoming dances these days? Back in my day, a school dance meant standing awkwardly on one side of the room with your friends until the boy you had your eye on hopefully asked you to dance before your 7pm curfew. But times have clearly changed, because Brooklyn and Brynlee — (who just happen to be my next-door neighbors) showed up looking like they stepped straight off the cover of Teen Vogue: Charles Town Middle School edition. These girls had the hair, the dresses, the confidence… basically everything I did not have at age ~13.

Let’s take a quick trip down memory lane for contrast, shall we? The one middle-school dance I attended (circa 2006) involved denim capris, a crocheted coral poncho, and my signature Lip Smackers gloss…because I thought strawberry-scented petroleum jelly counted as a beauty routine. Brooklyn and Brynlee? Actual glamour. I’m talking coordinated outfits, professional hair-dos, and accessories that didn’t come from the Claire’s clearance rack.

We met up at St. James Catholic Church, just down the road from our neighborhood, which turned out to be the perfect backdrop — classic brick, towering trees, and that glowy late-afternoon light that photographers dream about. Even little sister Bradleigh and a few of their beautiful cousins joined in too!

The final gallery turned out full of sisterly love. My favorite part wasn’t just the stunning photos, but how they captured that fleeting mix of still little girls and almost grown up. It’s those tiny in-between seasons of life that make photography feel a bit like magic.