It’s that graduation time of year where all the kids move up a grade and some move over to a new school. My youngest is moving up from Middle School (8th grade) to 9th grade and becoming a freshman High Schooler. Along with the move up are the ceremonies and little partiers where books are signed, teachers are appreciated and shy hugs of goodbye are coyfully completed.
And of course – Pictures! As any school parent has experienced, teenagers are hard to photograph. They love being goofy in front of the camera or just sort of slump in front of the camera in morose heap. My kid is the goof around type. And so while I am trying to get something remotely interesting visually the images from Philippe Halsman’s famous Jump! book come to mind. For some reason the images of Jackie Gleason and Marilyn Monroe stand out. I think it’s the look on their faces as they jump for the camera.
With nothing to lose I nonchalantly tell the three goofs in front of my camera, Why don’t you guys just jump straight up. What?, they reply in a combination of incredulousness and excitement. Up they shoot – several times. Finally I say – Wait until I count to 3.
One…
Two…
Three!
Force Of Seeing 