Natural

The photo on the right are of my niece and nephews; Zaid, Zailey, Zared. It was taken February 8th, 2008, almost two years ago. The best photos of children are the natural ones, not the ones that you say, "Ok, everyone get together for a photo; sit here, sit there". Yet, in the case here, I said just that, "everyone get together for a photo", and I admit, mostly for the selfish reasons of trying to get the best shot. But what I didn't say was, "Zared, reach your arm all the way around to other side of your brother Zaid so that Zailey is over squeezed", or "Zailey, squeeze your brothers so tight that your fingers give a little claw into one and almost cause another to loose his eye". "And oh, don't forget to give the best looks too". Nope, what you see here, is not staged, not directed. It is something so naturally tender and joyful, that you cannot help but smile everytime you look it at. This is what photography means to me; to get a sense of something bigger than yourself in a single moment. And while the little guy may not have been happy to be in that spot right then, years to come, when he is older, he will look back on this photo and smile too.