The last time I photographed Joel, the young man featured below, was in 2019 when he was just a boy about to begin high school and his mom, Wendie, gave herself the gift of family photos for her 50th birthday. Now, four years later he’s getting ready to graduate high school and begin the next chapter of life. It’s such a pleasure to highlight Joel in today’s 2023 Senior Pictures in Cle Elum feature!

Joel is the youngest of three to Wendie and Kevin Kelly, local business owners of All Seasons Vacation Rentals. He’s a two sport athlete (baseball & basketball) and a great student, maintaining an impressive 3.9 GPA while pursuing his robust athletic career. Joel recently committed to play basketball at University of Puget Sound, where he plans to study business finance/accounting.

Senior Pictures for Athletes

Joel began playing baseball at the young age of 4 & basketball in kindergarten. He continues to play both sports in high school, where his hard work has not gone unnoticed. In both 2022 and 2023, he was selected for the basketball First Team All League as well as the League Player of the Year. In 2022 he was selected for the First Team All League in baseball and is looking forward to the 2023 season. What a huge accomplishment! I know his parents are beyond proud of the work he’s put in to get to where he is now.

Wendie says, “We love sports, we are a basketball family and have loved watching all of our kids grow and thrive as Warrior athletes. It is hard to believe that this will be our final season of Warrior sports. We have truly enjoyed watching Joel’s team play together since kindergarten, compete together, and can’t wait to see what they do this year”

With Spring semester sports and activities ramping up, Joel isn’t the only one in the family with all of the ‘last’ moments of high school on their mind. As the youngest of three Kelly kids, with Joel going to college, it’s a huge change for Wendie and Kevin, too! After all of the excitement of the next few months, they will enter a new chapter of their own.

This is exactly why I value senior photos so much. Senior Portraits are an homage to the life & passions of the senior, for family & friends to reflect back on and remember all of the times they spent watching Joel play and building their core memories together. Incorporating sports into senior photos was only natural for this athlete!

2023 Senior Pictures in Cle Elum

When Joel isn’t busy with practice, games, or school work, he enjoys listening to music, hanging out with friends, and of course, working out. Wendie says, “Joel has always been our wild child. He is so outgoing and friendly. Never gets angry and is very even keel.”

I think we did a great job of documenting Joel’s personality in these photos and as always, it was a pleasure to see the Kellys! I can’t wait to hear how Joel’s final semester of high school goes and know he’s got a bright future ahead of him!

See Joel’s brother, Jake’s 2021 senior photos for more sports-inspired senior portraits for boys