PJ, Class of 2025

Updated: Sep 14

Was PJ's senior session golden because of the turning leaves, his cute pup, his modeling skills or THE LITERAL GOLD HE BROUGHT TO HIS SESSION?? You be the judge! This was SO FUN!

a high school senior boy and star of tv show Gold Rush poses with his gold mining equipment near Denali National Park in Healy, Alaska

PJ does not go to school in this area, but he visits Alaska during the summers to spend time with his family who live here. He spends his summers gold mining on his family's gold claim. In fact, his family was on the tv show Gold Rush in 2021 and you can see him on TV!! I had a blast visiting with PJ about gold mining, the type of work it is, and how much he loves it out at the gold claim. It's obvious he has a real passion for gold mining and cares a lot about continuing! I was blown away that he brought literal gold to our session!! I was a bit scared to drop any of it, but he had a plan from the beginning, and we made it happen!

Aside from all of the talk about gold mining, we talked about what PJ hopes to do when he Is graduated from high school. PJ would love to have a career that would allow him to have summers off so that he could continue his work gold mining. We joked that he could teach classes about gold mining. As PJ's session continued and he positively rocked It, I teased him that he could potentially take up a career In modeling and gold mine on the side!

We took all of these senior session photos (featuring some of PJ's gold mining equipment!) at a nearby creek. The sun was high and the fall colors were just beginning to change at the end of August. Can you believe that fall begins to reach Interior Alaska in AUGUST? Every year I'm blown away at how quickly the colors change. PJ was such a great sport as we worked to find good lighting along the stream and a spot to get out his gold! We found the perfect spot and after we took lots (and lots!) of photos, PJ carefully put away his gold after the session using two gold pans and a coffee filter or two... who knew? (Not me!)

PJ, this was genuinely so much fun for me! Thank you for being such a good sport and for helping me take some of my favorite senior guy pictures ever! I'm cheering you on through your senior year!