campo verde high school senior | eli

typing...erasing...typing some more...erasing some more.I'm trying to figure out how much or how little to say about him...I don't want to "load him up", he'd make fun of me and already warned me of being too squishy...but onnnnnnnnnnnnnn the otherrrrrrrr hand, ;)I don't want to miss an opportunity to tell you why he is important to me and why he is unique in my eyes.I totally believe that life is too short not to say kind things when the opportunity presents itself...screw it...buckle up, I'm loading him up. :)this is eli.the last of a family of six that I value tremendously.God has used him, his three brother's,and his mom and dad in different ways over the past twenty six years in my life.yup, knowing this family for twenty-six years officially labels me as "old"...whatever.I could talk about each of this family and why I value each of them...but eli is the only one who got in front of my lens voluntarily...so eli is who I'm going to tell you about. ;)eli is very much in my heart like the guy I last shot at this location and talked about here.when he told me that THIS is kinda where he'd like to go for his session,my heart squeezed a little bit...I hadn't been back there since his session.but I smiled, because it was right.I admire eli.I admire his determination.I admire his ability to teach himself new things.I admire his creativity and for the way he see's life.I admire his musical ability and love that I get to watch him worship whole-heartedly and unashamed.I admire his love for Jesus and how he strives to chase after Him in a world that says it isn't worth it.I admire his work ethic and that he knows and runs head first into hard work.I admire his respect for his parents and how he allows them to be the loudest voice.I admire and love his smackiness and wit...and his ability to make me laugh until I cry.and the very biggest thing I admire about him...is eerily similar to the admiration for the last guy I shot at this location:that in a world of boys simply content on remaining boys… he cares more about what it means to be a man after God' heart.this is who eli is to me.and THIS is how I got-to see him in front of my lens.thank you for the afternoon, eli.and for tolerating me loading you up. ;)