GAVAGAN CHR I S
D I A Z MICHELLE
After graduating high school, Michelle was gifted her first point and shoot camera. She took it everywhere she went to capture the feelings of individual moments. This inspired her to learn about photography
Since 2017, Michelle has been a professional photographer. What she loves most about photographing students on Picture Day is making them smile.
When she’s not being silly in exchange for smiles, Michelle enjoys listening to podcasts and music . She also likes going for walks, spending time with f riends, dogs, and watching the sunrise.
I love to see kids smile! I enjoy being silly without being judged and children love when I am silly – they just crack up. Sometimes they don't smile with teeth, but their eyes definitely do!
From a young age, Colette was dazzled by photography As an observant and curious child, she accidentally broke her mother ’ s Brownie camera when she was trying to load it with a roll of film. For Colette, the idea of photography was incredible. She felt it was her purpose to capture fleeting moments in time.
Now a professional photographer for over 35 years, Colette enjoys bringing out the best in kids on Picture Day
Over the years, Colette has enjoyed working with different cameras, but her favorite is the 100x Space Zoom on her Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra.
When she’s not capturing smiles, Colette enjoys running marathons and photographing different bird species in Brooklyn.
My favorite part of being a school photographer is going to different places and meeting different people
KEPPLE C A S E Y
When Casey was a f reshman in high school, a two-week trip to London changed her life. Inspired to capture the memories of her family vacation, she borrowed her father ’s Minolta X-370 35mm camera. It didn’t leave her hands for the rest of the trip.
When she returned home, she took all the photography classes her school offered. After graduation, her journey continued at the School of Visual Arts. She received her degree and has enjoyed working various photography jobs since 2014.
Now a photographer at Irvin Simon, she loves the feeling of capturing authentic smiles.
When it comes to cameras, Casey is all about exploration. She loves her Canon 5D Mark II but has an increasing interest in mirrorless cameras. She’s currently saving for the Sony Alpha a7 III.
As a passionate person, Casey enjoys many hobbies. She competed as a level 7 gymnast, loves sports (especially hockey), hiking with her family, and baking desserts.
Sometimes kids don't want to smile or feel overwhelmed, and when you work with them enough that they finally feel confident and comfortable, it makes the final smile extra rewarding
JACKIE L E O N JACKIE
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Since Henry was a kid he loved looking at the photos in his mom’s magazines. When he was 10 years old, he got his first camera. When he was 17, he earned an art scholarship through a City Hall education program in Colombia, where he got the chance to learn photography professionally
At 22, he got a job as a cruise ship photographer and visited over 52 different countries.
Now a photographer at Irvin Simon, Henry loves the excitement Picture Day brings to kids.
When it comes to his favorite type of camera to work with, Henry has tried multiple brands but sticks with Nikon and Canon. When he’s not capturing smiles, he enjoys yoga, languages, history, taking care of his plants (he’s a self-proclaimed “ plant father ”), and vegetarian food.
The kids are super sweet and smart, and schools are always looking forward to Picture Day, which makes it a lot of fun.
When Frankie picked up a Polaroid and snapped a few fun pictures of her siblings, she fell in love with capturing special moments.
Since then, she’s enjoyed exploring the world of photography, which ed her to Irvin Simon.
Whether she’s photographing the emotions of family members or excited students on Picture Day, Frankie sees preserving genuine expressions as a work of art
When she’s not behind the camera, Frankie enjoys rollerblading and learning about different types of wine.
Capturing rare moments is what I like most about being a photographer
