I first met Tara Brown when I took her business portraits for her position as the Ellensburg Branch Manager for Evergreen Home Loans. I was thrilled when she reached out to me in search of an Ellensburg senior photographer. Her son Ridge is part of the graduating class of 2021 at Kittitas High School. Ridge is a bright, outgoing young man. His many interests made every session an adventure.

Our first session, and ultimately this senior’s favorite, was a wakeboarding session. Not only was it totally new for me, and so fun, but in typical 2020 fashion, we were thrown a curveball. The area was completely ensnared in wildfire smoke, which made for a totally different type of backdrop.

Another one of the senior portrait sessions took place on his grandparent’s farm in Ellensburg. Ridge is a sixth generation resident of Ellensburg and this session and location were especially meaningful. After all, he grew up in the farmhouse on the property. I couldn’t help but think about what a beautiful way to capture the cusp of who someone is about to become than to capture so much of their history in a single photograph. We were also able to venture to his high school for sports photos. Lastly we went to the studio for formal senior portraits as well.

Ridge is a three sport athlete. He is on the varsity wrestling team, and plays varsity football and baseball. He hopes to play one last season of football this spring. In addition, he is an avid dirtbiker. Ridge has been accepted at Yakima Valley Community College and Walla Walla Community College. After high school, he plans to become a firefighter EMT, in addition to holding a CDL to help with the family business, TJs Bulldozing.

With so many wonderful sessions, Tara and Jason chose to invest in my most inclusive senior portrait package to ensure his many varied interest, passions and portraits could be documented together. This includes a 12×12 heirloom album and a 16×16 metal wall art trio.

Why Mary Maletzke Photography: 
I chose you as our Senior Photographer because I’m blown away with the amount of detail you invest in your albums. I love how you bring it together. Your quality of work is different from what I’ve seen from others. It was equally as important to me that you capture this time in his life, on the precipice of adulthood. He’s a sweet kid with such a fun side, but it’s been thrilling to watch him grow into an independent, hard-working young man.

Ellensburg Senior Photographer: Ridge Essman Class of 2021