Interview with Michael Navarro Jr. - Washburn Rural Class of 2018 - Topeka's Best Senior Portraits

I am very excited to share our session with Michael from Washburn Rural. He was an excellent subject and I loved his interests and how we were able to capture them creatively. The main areas of his session were the capitol, Jayhawk Theater and a tennis court. It gave us a lot of variety and a chance to show off his passions in a great way. Michael is a great guy, super nice and was excited to try anything we had in mind. Definitely the highlight of his shoot to me was shooting at the Jayhawk Theater. We shot portraits of him playing his violin and we even used an old light they had there to photograph him. It gave him a very contrasty and dramatic look; I'd say a vintage look even. I'm thrilled with his session. I love his answers to the interview. He is a very intelligent young man, well rounded and I know it's going to take him far in life! Thank you for checking out his blog post and I hope you love what you see!

T.H. Peterson: What do you like most about Washburn rural high? Michael: I really like how Washburn offers multiple classes that allow me to challenge myself as a student; if I’m ever struggling, I always know that I can seek assistance from a teacher without hesitation to resolve my problem or enlighten me on the subject.

T.H. P.: What are your plans after high school? 
Michael: Hopefully, I can get admitted into one of my schools of choice where I can study as a double major in Chemistry and Art History. If I end up surviving that, I’d like to pursue a career in the medical field. 

T.H. P.: What's your biggest pet peeve when it comes to school? 
Michael: It really gets on my nerves when I hear underclassmen complaining about a class that I’ve ended up enjoying. It may seem hard in the beginning, but just as I did, being open to the content, even if it’s new, can really help a student become more engaged and interested in the class. 

T.H. P.: What did you enjoy most about your shoot with us? 
Michael: I really loved how casual and stress-free the entire experience was. The photography team made it super easy in terms of telling me how to pose or choosing the backgrounds for the pictures, which turned out phenomenal. 

T.H. P.: How long have you played tennis? What is your favorite thing and hardest thing about it? 
Michael: I’ve played tennis since I was 6 years old. I really like how the sport requires me to exert myself both mentally and physically while on the court. It only really gets hard when I start to get tired after giving my maximum effort in a previous point. 

T.H. P.: Do you have future plans with playing violin? Btw, I loved you violin portraits a ton. Some of my favorite images from your shoot. 
Michael: At this point, I’ve decided that I will not further my studies in violin past high school, but I will definitely continue playing the violin on the side as a hobby when I’m in college. 

T.H. P.: How would you describe yourself as a student? 
Michael: I would consider myself as being an intelligent and motivated student. I procrastinate at times, but I can always rely on my strong work ethic to pull through and help me get my work done in the end. 

T.H. P.: Best advice your dad ever gave you? 
Michael: To never give up on myself and learn from my mistakes. 

T.H. P.: Most under rated band / musician in your opinion? 
Michael: I don’t consider myself musically cultured enough to have an opinion to answer this question. I usually listen to classical music and Broadway soundtracks—all of which are/have been well-known and praised. 

T.H. P.: What is your favorite place to eat in the Topeka / Lawrence area? 
Michael: Yokohama Sushi in Downtown Lawrence serves some of the best sushi I’ve ever had. 

T.H. P.: What's a tv show you were addicted to as a kid? 
Michael: Definitely Tom and Jerry. You can’t beat the classics.

To book your own session, please call Tommy or Holly at 785.793.2492 or 785.213.0812 or email tommy@thpetersonphoto.com