anotherkindofdrew blog

Some 15 years ago my momma dropped me off in the parking lot of the local photographer; Stephen Jay. There was nothing particularly memorable about the trip. I knew Momma had arranged everything and paid a lofty deposit for this seemingly momentous occasion in my life; senior pictures.

I walked in with a garment bag over one shoulder and ratty barrel bag over the other that had emblazoned on it in bright orange “Oakwood Elementary.” On my feet already were my dress shoes – a patent leather buckle number from the local Pick ‘n Pay.

For the next two hours or so I was ushered from one room to another in a labyrinth sort of procession that culminated with a trip out back for the “natural shot.” The irony? There was nothing natural about me in a light green, yellow and beige GAP plaid tucked into plaid trousers. Less natural was the pose I was put in against a fake tree. The experience left so much to be desired. Momma was happy though and when the proofs came back she lovingly looked over each one as if examining a Picasso sketch discovered on the back of a DaVinci manuscript.

Now that I am a professional photographer (at least that is what people call me) I find myself not only being called to take but actually doing so and charging money for these senior pictures. Most of them start the same.

A student comes in to find me taking random self-portraits and playing with lights to pass the time. We talk about what they want and when they can do it. We exchange emails and cell numbers and then spend the next several days learning about each other. See, what I have come to realize is that in ten years these students are going to look back at these pictures and say one of two things.

1) Was I really that person? WOW. What was I thinking?
2) I remember that day. It was so great. These picture? These are me. This is who I was – like it or lump it.

I shoot for the second. I don’t care if a student is into collecting bar coasters. If they want to have their picture made in front of a bar with coasters oozing out of their ears, then it is my job to try and accomplish that within the realm of good taste and professionalism. Their clothes? They can bring what they want. So long as it is appropriate, game on! And during the two hours of shooting or so what I discover is that every one of these seniors is a real person. They aren’t some superficial pose wherein their eyes are glazed over and they are leaning in with their head resting on their chin. They are cowboys, farm girls, treehuggers, Bible thumpers, jocks, gamers, cheerleaders…and the list goes on. It is my job to capture that as best I can. And I think I do. In fact, I think I do rather well.

Last week when I was lens to face with *Maddie, what I had found out about her is that she is searching – searching for herself, for her place in this world and her future. She is full of dreams and gets lost in her own fantasies about what life can be like outside of this one horse town. And so with her cowboy boots on and her head stretched up to the sun (pondering the answer to “so what do you want your pictures to look like in 5 years?”) I took this picture. It is her. It is unassuming. It is a glimpse into her life right now – who she is and who she wants to be.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 26th, 2010 at 10:15 am and is filed under GA, Photography. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.