And It's Yesterday Once More

One photography goal I set for this year is to take more photos of people whether they are candids or portraits.  I came to settle on this goal after looking at the photos I have taken over the last two years.  I enjoy being around people and people watching, but I take very few people photos.  Maybe, I have been reluctant to take photos of others because I do not like having my photo taken for unknown reasons.  However, I got a good start on my goal this past weekend when we were invited to our daughter's home prior to attending a theater performance later that evening. 

Several weeks ago, my granddaughter called me after picking out her prom dress telling me about how excited she was about this beautiful dress which she ended up buying even though it was not at all like the dress she was intending to purchase.  She went on to tell me how she was looking forward to celebrating at prom with her friends and a young man who had recently entered her life. As we concluded our conversation, she reminded me to be sure to bring my camera when I came to her house that evening telling me she wanted me to take some photos of her and her date. What she left out of that conversation was the fact that she had invited eight of her friends and their dates to her house before going to the prom.  

As the kids continued to arrive, more requests for photos came from my granddaughter and her friends and also from the parents of her friends. Each of her friends had a phone as did their parents and before we knew it, we were immersed in a full blown photo frenzy.

The photo featured this week offered me a glimpse of what it was like to be sixteen after all these years.  Before any of her friends arrived, I watched her take a short video of herself which brought back personal memories about being sixteen back in the 60s. It's easy to recall the events, the people, and the music, but it is difficult to rediscover how intensely you embraced life at sixteen when each moment can  leave you feeling as if you are suspended somewhere between elation and utter exclusion.   

I noticed that my granddaughter was using her phone to capture a video of a private moment.  During the sixties it was unlikely that any of us would have carried a camera at our side to capture candid moments with our friends.  In that era, the best you may get is an obligatory parent photo or a minute or two of spontaneity in a photobooth at the Walgreens.  Today all teens carry cell phones as though they were a third arm, causing me to wonder if their culture of limitless candids and videos will help them better preserve those moments of intense feelings after they become staid middle aged parents.

My photo was intended to capture my granddaughter's contemplative mood and the emergence of pre-prom "butterflies".  I chose to make the outdoor background black and white while retaining my granddaughter and her phone in color to express what it is to be sixteen when the vibrance and glow of special moments falls only on you and the rest of the world seems unfocused and unimportant.  While I was photographing her friends,  what became apparent to me was the energy and exuberance of being sixteen and facing limitless adventures.  Being with them reminded me of what most of us oldies forget about when we were teens -- those moments of living without a filtered and seasoned perspective thereby experiencing life so adventurously that each moment can potentially take your breath away.   I can't say I miss that 16 year old feeling, but it sure helps me to cherish the love, patience and understanding of my parents and other adults who stood by me during those teen years.