Senior Pictures with Harp and Family

It’s not every day that I get to write “senior pictures with harp.” But today I get to introduce you to another one of our best family friends and she brought both her harp and her family to her senior portrait session. Meet the amazing Audrey Kim.

I have had the pleasure of knowing Audrey since kindergarten and have photographed her awesome family many, many times over the years. They are very special to me and together we’ve built a great library of family photographs. These senior pictures are no exception. I adore them. We used familiar locations around Uptown Charlotte and planned our timing perfectly at Winghaven Gardens to maximize sunlight spilling into a few of the harp photographs like the one below.

Audrey loved the idea of using a formal garden and I really wanted to incorporate sunflare. I honestly think we nailed both the location and the timing. Scroll down to see more highlights from our session, but first let me tell you about this amazing high school graduate. She’s attending Vanderbilt University this fall to study harp performance and economics. So yes, you’ll want to read about her many impressive accomplishments.

PHS Prom Queen, National Merit Finalist and Most Likely to Brighten Your Day

Audrey graduated from Providence High School (PHS) on June 13th. She is the proud recipient of many school honors and awards including National Merit Scholarship Finalist, AP National Scholar with Distinction, Presidential Volunteer Service Award (x2), CMS All-County Honor Chorus, Prom Queen and my favorite superlative, “Most Likely to Brighten Your Day.” She’s smart, talented and nice! That’s a great combination in my book. But her book includes a ton of leadership experience too. Over the past four years, Audrey served in a variety of leadership roles for Best Buddies, German Club, Key Club and Student Government.

Accomplished Harpist, Economic Enthusiast

Outside of school, Audrey has been the Principal Harpist for the Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestra (CSYO) since August 2018. I’ve been lucky enough to see her perform live. She is so talented.

“I have been playing the harp for seven years. What I love most is the intimacy and versatility of the harp. When I play the harp, I am in complete control. My fingers directly pluck the harp strings, which ring and produce sound as a result of my fingers’ strength. While it can add little ‘sprinkles’ to an ensemble piece, such as glisses and cascading arpeggios, the harp can also provide an unyielding foundation for other instruments to shine. Playing the harp has taught me many things: most significantly, the importance of hard work. I have learned the value of being consistent, intentional and methodical in my approach to practice, and that has been a key factor in my growth as a musician.” 

Audrey Kim, Providence High School Class of 2022

In 2021, Audrey had the honor of participating in Curtis Harp Days hosted by the Curtis Institute of Music. This program is dedicated to training the next generation of harpists. That same summer she also attended the Wharton Global Youth Program hosted by the University of Pennsylvania and Foundation for Teaching Economics, Economics for Leaders hosted by the University of Michigan. Sadly all of these programs were held virtually because of ongoing COVID concerns but Audrey loved all three experiences.

Senior Memories & Summer Plans

Homecoming Week is Audrey’s favorite senior memory because school was basically back to normal and all of the events were so much fun. She says it was really nice to celebrate in person with all of her friends. It sounds like a great break from all of her hard work mentioned above! Another nice break is summer in California with her family. Every year, Audrey and her family spend several weeks visiting grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles in both Los Angeles and San Francisco.

“Huntington Beach, California is my favorite place on earth. We’ve made an annual trip to California for as long as I can remember, and we’ve got the routine down.”

Audrey Kim

Audrey, you know I love you. I’m so proud of you. You are so talented and such a hard worker. Beyond that, you truly are the most likely to brighten someone’s day. I’m so lucky that you brighten mine so often. You are going to have the best time at Vanderbilt. I can’t wait to hear all about it. Go Commodores! In four short years, we can do senior pictures with your harp again.

Click here to see more senior sessions from the blog.