My Wish

This week, my daughter Victoria needed to explore a place that she’s never been before for a photography project. She shot a role of film at the RPI Approach and another one at the ‘Black Bridge’ (all you Green Islanders can appreciate and reminisce). The focus of the project was the objects, to see things through the lens that you’ve never seen before, or look at it in angles that you’ve never seen before. Through the course, she hasn’t been able to photograph people.

What would I ever do if I was told, I couldn’t photograph people? Anyone who knows me, knows that my camera is almost a natural extension of my hands. I love photography, and I love being able to capture moments in time. Vacations, sporting events, silly moments, and milestones – they are all saved away in both a digital archive and photo album. When I say I have thousands and thousands of pictures, it is probably an underestimate.

Every year, the senior graduating class at my daughters’ school has a senior photo shoot. For the Class of 2008, I had the honors (and I do consider it an honor) to be the photographer. Don’t be shocked by looking at the photographs, this did indeed have the entire class at the shoot! My daughter graduated with 13 kids in her class, one of which was our exchange student who lived with us. It’s not a normal class size for our school, we normally have a much larger class average of 20!

They selected Lake George, NY, as their location. We set off for there one glorious autumn day – and it really was a perfect day. Goofiness, fun and a lot of laughter and smiles. Some posed, some caught off guard, but probably my favorite day I spent with them. What I saw through the lens that October day was a great group of kids, with enormous hearts. Not perfect by any means, but just a wonderful group. Each with their own unique qualities that were endearing. As I look back on their album, their class song (My Wish by Rascall Flats) becomes the soundtrack in my head.

My wish for each of them is that life becomes all that they want to. For their dreams to stay big, and their worries stay small. And when their out their getting where their getting to, that they know somebody loves them and wants the same thing to. I consider myself blessed to have been part of such a great group of kids.