Heather Neal Photography

I wear many hats. The ones I am most proud of are the ones my children have placed on my head and end in the word “mom”. As a “gymnastics mom”, I was so sad to see this competition season cut short. These girls practice year-round, some for as many as 30 hours a week. They leave school early, miss extra curricular activities, parties, and events. They have calluses and “rips” (the skin actually rips off of their hands) and bruises. For all of this they get typically less than 10 meets a year where they get to show off and (hopefully) be rewarded for their hard work and amazing achievements. This year that was only 4 meets. I’m a “fixer”. As soon as a problem or dissapointment presents itself, my brain starts working overtime trying to figure out how I can fix it, or at least make it a little better. I couldn’t fix this but as a photographer I could give them a day in the spotlight. I could show the world (or as many people as social media will allow) how beautiful and amazing they are. It was hot and the day was long, but there was a lot of laughter and fun. I photographed girls doing what they loved more than anything. I photographed sisters, friends, teammates, role models…family. This was one of the most fun and rewarding sessions I have ever done.