Let me explain that I was typing this day's journies during the pauses interwoven through a day of photography. Thus, the caps, which I find intrusive but daunting when I consider re-tryping the whole thing. Ergo, I invite you to enjoy the content, while perhaps not so much the presentation...
I'M IN THE PARKING LOT OF A SCHOOL, LOOKING FOR MY FELLOW PHOTOGRAPHERS. BETWEENTHE BARKS OF A LOCAL DOG, I CAN HEAR A GOAT BLEATING.
INSIDE THE SCHOOL, A NICE BUT AUSTERE JANITOR CALMLY EXPLAINS TO ME DETAILS I FAILED TO NOTICE BEFOREHAND. SUCH AS, OUR EQUIPMENT IS ALREADY SET UP AND HALF THE SCHOOL WAS PHOTOGRAPHED THE DAY BEFORE.
FIRST THERE WAS THE LITTLE GIRL, PROBABLY SIX, WHO WOULDN'T STOP CRYING. SHE WAS A NEW STUDENT AND KEPT TELLING HER MOM HOW MAD SHE WAS TO HAVE HER THERE WHILE AT THE SAME TIME CLINGING TO HER FOR DEAR LIFE. JANELLE, ANOTHER PHOTOGRAPHER, TALKED TO THE GIRL IN A SWEET VOICE, BUT THE KID KEPT CRYING. FOR MY OWN PART, I'M ALWAYS SUSPICIOUS OF A KID WHO MAKES A LOT OF NOISEAND YET SOMEHOW KEEPS REAL TEARS FROM FLOWING...
THEN THERE WAS THE KID WHO SAT FOR MY CAMERA...BACKWARDS. HE LIKED LOOKING AT THE BACKGROUND, AND APPARENTLY THE BACKGROUND LIKED LOOKING BACK BECAUSE HE WOULD NOT FACE FOWARD. YOU KNOW, TOWARD THE CAMERA. HE WAS STILL IN MY STOOL FOR A LONG TIME, REACHING FOR THE LIGHTS, WALKING TOWARD THE CAMERA, TRYING OUT SOMEBODY ELSE'S BACKGROUND WHEN WE KEPT TURNING HIM FROM MINE. HE WAS FIVE. AND AS IT TURNS OUT, AUTISTIC. WE WORKED HARD AND FINALLY GOT A SHOT OF HIM LOOKING AT THE CAMERA. SUCCESS!
IN THE MIDDLE OF THESE AND OTHER PRECOCIOUS KIDS, A PLOT IS BREWING ELSEWHER BETWEEN ANOTHER PHOTOGRAPHER AND OUR MANAGER. THE MANAGER MADE A CHANGE TO THE SCHEDULE YESTERDAY, SO I CHECKED TO MAKE SURE I WAS STILL AT THE SAME PLACE I'D BEEN SCHEDULED BEFORE. I WAS. TODAY I DISCOVERED THAT WHAT I HADN'T NOTICED WAS THAT I WAS ALSO SCHEDULED TO BE IN ANOTHER CITY AT THE SAME TIME. THE DISCREPENCY WAS DISCOVERED, A PHOTOGRAPHER IN THE OTHER CITY CALLED OUR MANAGER TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS UP AND HE DEIGNED TO SHARE SOME BLAME WITH ME, FOR NOT NOTICING THE MISTAKE. THE PHOTOGRAPHERCRACKED AND RAILED ON HIM ABOUT IT AND NOW THERE'S THIS HEATED DEBATE GOING ON IN SOME OTHER CITY, WITH ME AT THE CENTER BUT NOWHERE NEARBY. AND WE'RE GETTING BLOW-BY-BLOW UPDATES VIA TEXT MESSAGES.
HERE'S ANOTHER FIVE YEAR OLD GIRL, WHO DOESN'T WANT THE BOY PHOTOGRAPHER, SO SHE'S GOING TO WAIT FOR THE GIRL. WE ASSURED THE REJECTED PAULO, WHO ALSO HAPPENS TO BE FROM BRAZIL, THAT "IT'S NOTHING PERSONAL. LITTLE GIRLS WANT THE GIRL PHOTOGRAPHER, HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS WANT THE BRAZILIAN."
JUST TOOK PHOTOS OF ANOTHER AUTISTIC BOY, EXCEPT THIS ONE LOOKED AT THE CAMERA, SAT UP STRAIGHT AND SMILED WHEN I SAID "SMILE!" COMPARED TO THE LAST AUTISTIC BOY, HE WAS A DREAM. BUT THE LADY WHO WAS WORKING WITH HIM DIDN'T KNOW THAT. SHE HAD ME TAKE AND RETAKEAND RETAKE HIS PICTURE, SAYING "OH, HE'S SO HARD TO PHOTOGRAPH. HE DOESN'T LIKE TO FOCUS HIS EYES." I THOUGHT ABOUT THE KID WHO'D BEEN IN LOVE WITH THE BACKGROUND AND THIS LITTLE GUY WAS A DREAM SUBJECT. HE WAS AWESOME, AND I'M REALLY NOT SURE WHAT SHE WANTED. IN SEVERAL PHOTOS HE WAS SMILING AND EVEN LOOKING, EYES FOCUSED, AT THE CAMERA. HMMM...
AND NOW A MYSTERY... OUR SUPERVISOR JUST ASKED ME TO 'PRETEND' TO TAKE A BOY'S PICTURE. SHE RUSHED AWAY BEFORE I COULD ASK WHY. SO THE KID SAT, TOOK OFF HIS GLASSES, AND SMILED. I SETOFF THE FLASH, EXAMINED THE SCREEN, AND SET OFF THE FLASH AGAIN. HE WALKED AWAY HAPPY AND I LOOKED TO MY SUPERVISOR FOR EXPLANATION, BUT SHE WAS OFF TALKING TO ONE OF THE WOMEN VOLUNTEERING TODAY. ALL I COULD MAKE OUT WAS THE WOMAN SAYING "THANK YOU SO MUCH" OVER AND OVER. AGAIN, HMM...
I HAVE A GREEN FROG PUPPET PERCHED ON TOP OF MY CAMERA TO MAKE KIDS SMILE. HE'S REALLY SOFT, AND BETWEEN TAKES I ABSENTMINDEDLY PET HIM. THE PHOTOGRAPHER TO MY LEFT JUST TOLD ME ALL THE LITTLE BOYS KEEP LOOKING OVER AT ME INSTEAD OF AT HIS CAMERA. I GUESS THEY WISH I WOULD LET THEM PET THE FROG, TOO.
OKAY, THE MYSTERY OF THE PRETEND PICTURE HAS JUST BEEN SOLVED. THE BOY WAS, ONCE AGAIN, AUTISTIC AND HE GOT HIS PICTURE YESTERDAY BUT FORGOT TO TAKE OFF HIS JACKET LIKE HIS MOM HAD REMINDED HIM. WHEN HE REALIZED HE'D FORGOTTEN, HE MELTED DOWN. HE HAD TO TAKE ANOTHER PICTURE-- TODAY, NOT AT RETAKE DAY OR MAKE UP DAY BUT IMMEDIATELY, OR HE WOULD MELT AGAIN. UNFORTUNATELY, YESTERDAY'S DATA IS GONE SO WE COULDN'T REALLY RETAKETHE PICTURE, BUT WE COULD PRETEND. SO WE DID WHAT WE COULD.
LUNCH TIME IS OVER NOW AND IT'S RAINING OUTSIDE. THE KIDS ARE RUNNING AROUND OUTSIDE PLAYING GAMES...IN THE RAIN...ON PICTURE DAY...
I THINK OUR LAST GROUP WAS THE SPECIAL ED DEPARTMENT OF PRESCHOOL-- WHICH MEANT WHILE I WAS LOOKING THROUGHTHE CAMERA, JANELLE WAS KNEELING BELOW ME, HOLDING UP THE FROG PUPPET AND MAKIN HIM DANCE A JIG JUST BELOW THE LENS.TO MY SIDE WAS WHOMEVER WAS ASSIGNED TO HELP WITH THE CLASS, ALSO DANCING, SMILING AND CALLING THE THE KIDS SO THEY WOULD LOOK AT US AND SMILE AND KEEP THEIR HANDS DOWN. NEEDLESS TO SAY, WE HAD THREE PEOPLE CROWDED AROUND ONE CAMERA, JUMPING, TWITCHING AND CALLING OUT IN CARTOON VOICES WITH EACH KID. IT TOTALLY WORKED.
MY LAST KID FOR TODAY. SHE'S GOTTA BE ABOUT THREE YEARS OLD, AND HAS SOME KIND OF CONDITION THAT WON'T ALLOW HER TO SIT UP BY HERSELF. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS SMILE AT HER AND SHE LIGHTS UP LIKE A CHRISTMAS TREE. HER SMILE IS SO INNOCENT AND BRIGHT IT MAKES ME CRY-- BUT I DON'T. I JUST LOOK STRAIGHT BACK INTO HER UNBLINKING EYES AND KEEP SMILING. SHE'S TAKEN OUT OF THE ROOM IN A STROLLERAND WE WAVE GOODBYE.
SO, JANELLE IS AWESOME (AND SHE TOLD ME TO WRITE THAT)
AND THAT'S OUR DAY.
I'M IN THE PARKING LOT OF A SCHOOL, LOOKING FOR MY FELLOW PHOTOGRAPHERS. BETWEENTHE BARKS OF A LOCAL DOG, I CAN HEAR A GOAT BLEATING.
INSIDE THE SCHOOL, A NICE BUT AUSTERE JANITOR CALMLY EXPLAINS TO ME DETAILS I FAILED TO NOTICE BEFOREHAND. SUCH AS, OUR EQUIPMENT IS ALREADY SET UP AND HALF THE SCHOOL WAS PHOTOGRAPHED THE DAY BEFORE.
FIRST THERE WAS THE LITTLE GIRL, PROBABLY SIX, WHO WOULDN'T STOP CRYING. SHE WAS A NEW STUDENT AND KEPT TELLING HER MOM HOW MAD SHE WAS TO HAVE HER THERE WHILE AT THE SAME TIME CLINGING TO HER FOR DEAR LIFE. JANELLE, ANOTHER PHOTOGRAPHER, TALKED TO THE GIRL IN A SWEET VOICE, BUT THE KID KEPT CRYING. FOR MY OWN PART, I'M ALWAYS SUSPICIOUS OF A KID WHO MAKES A LOT OF NOISEAND YET SOMEHOW KEEPS REAL TEARS FROM FLOWING...
THEN THERE WAS THE KID WHO SAT FOR MY CAMERA...BACKWARDS. HE LIKED LOOKING AT THE BACKGROUND, AND APPARENTLY THE BACKGROUND LIKED LOOKING BACK BECAUSE HE WOULD NOT FACE FOWARD. YOU KNOW, TOWARD THE CAMERA. HE WAS STILL IN MY STOOL FOR A LONG TIME, REACHING FOR THE LIGHTS, WALKING TOWARD THE CAMERA, TRYING OUT SOMEBODY ELSE'S BACKGROUND WHEN WE KEPT TURNING HIM FROM MINE. HE WAS FIVE. AND AS IT TURNS OUT, AUTISTIC. WE WORKED HARD AND FINALLY GOT A SHOT OF HIM LOOKING AT THE CAMERA. SUCCESS!
IN THE MIDDLE OF THESE AND OTHER PRECOCIOUS KIDS, A PLOT IS BREWING ELSEWHER BETWEEN ANOTHER PHOTOGRAPHER AND OUR MANAGER. THE MANAGER MADE A CHANGE TO THE SCHEDULE YESTERDAY, SO I CHECKED TO MAKE SURE I WAS STILL AT THE SAME PLACE I'D BEEN SCHEDULED BEFORE. I WAS. TODAY I DISCOVERED THAT WHAT I HADN'T NOTICED WAS THAT I WAS ALSO SCHEDULED TO BE IN ANOTHER CITY AT THE SAME TIME. THE DISCREPENCY WAS DISCOVERED, A PHOTOGRAPHER IN THE OTHER CITY CALLED OUR MANAGER TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS UP AND HE DEIGNED TO SHARE SOME BLAME WITH ME, FOR NOT NOTICING THE MISTAKE. THE PHOTOGRAPHERCRACKED AND RAILED ON HIM ABOUT IT AND NOW THERE'S THIS HEATED DEBATE GOING ON IN SOME OTHER CITY, WITH ME AT THE CENTER BUT NOWHERE NEARBY. AND WE'RE GETTING BLOW-BY-BLOW UPDATES VIA TEXT MESSAGES.
HERE'S ANOTHER FIVE YEAR OLD GIRL, WHO DOESN'T WANT THE BOY PHOTOGRAPHER, SO SHE'S GOING TO WAIT FOR THE GIRL. WE ASSURED THE REJECTED PAULO, WHO ALSO HAPPENS TO BE FROM BRAZIL, THAT "IT'S NOTHING PERSONAL. LITTLE GIRLS WANT THE GIRL PHOTOGRAPHER, HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS WANT THE BRAZILIAN."
JUST TOOK PHOTOS OF ANOTHER AUTISTIC BOY, EXCEPT THIS ONE LOOKED AT THE CAMERA, SAT UP STRAIGHT AND SMILED WHEN I SAID "SMILE!" COMPARED TO THE LAST AUTISTIC BOY, HE WAS A DREAM. BUT THE LADY WHO WAS WORKING WITH HIM DIDN'T KNOW THAT. SHE HAD ME TAKE AND RETAKEAND RETAKE HIS PICTURE, SAYING "OH, HE'S SO HARD TO PHOTOGRAPH. HE DOESN'T LIKE TO FOCUS HIS EYES." I THOUGHT ABOUT THE KID WHO'D BEEN IN LOVE WITH THE BACKGROUND AND THIS LITTLE GUY WAS A DREAM SUBJECT. HE WAS AWESOME, AND I'M REALLY NOT SURE WHAT SHE WANTED. IN SEVERAL PHOTOS HE WAS SMILING AND EVEN LOOKING, EYES FOCUSED, AT THE CAMERA. HMMM...
AND NOW A MYSTERY... OUR SUPERVISOR JUST ASKED ME TO 'PRETEND' TO TAKE A BOY'S PICTURE. SHE RUSHED AWAY BEFORE I COULD ASK WHY. SO THE KID SAT, TOOK OFF HIS GLASSES, AND SMILED. I SETOFF THE FLASH, EXAMINED THE SCREEN, AND SET OFF THE FLASH AGAIN. HE WALKED AWAY HAPPY AND I LOOKED TO MY SUPERVISOR FOR EXPLANATION, BUT SHE WAS OFF TALKING TO ONE OF THE WOMEN VOLUNTEERING TODAY. ALL I COULD MAKE OUT WAS THE WOMAN SAYING "THANK YOU SO MUCH" OVER AND OVER. AGAIN, HMM...
I HAVE A GREEN FROG PUPPET PERCHED ON TOP OF MY CAMERA TO MAKE KIDS SMILE. HE'S REALLY SOFT, AND BETWEEN TAKES I ABSENTMINDEDLY PET HIM. THE PHOTOGRAPHER TO MY LEFT JUST TOLD ME ALL THE LITTLE BOYS KEEP LOOKING OVER AT ME INSTEAD OF AT HIS CAMERA. I GUESS THEY WISH I WOULD LET THEM PET THE FROG, TOO.
OKAY, THE MYSTERY OF THE PRETEND PICTURE HAS JUST BEEN SOLVED. THE BOY WAS, ONCE AGAIN, AUTISTIC AND HE GOT HIS PICTURE YESTERDAY BUT FORGOT TO TAKE OFF HIS JACKET LIKE HIS MOM HAD REMINDED HIM. WHEN HE REALIZED HE'D FORGOTTEN, HE MELTED DOWN. HE HAD TO TAKE ANOTHER PICTURE-- TODAY, NOT AT RETAKE DAY OR MAKE UP DAY BUT IMMEDIATELY, OR HE WOULD MELT AGAIN. UNFORTUNATELY, YESTERDAY'S DATA IS GONE SO WE COULDN'T REALLY RETAKETHE PICTURE, BUT WE COULD PRETEND. SO WE DID WHAT WE COULD.
LUNCH TIME IS OVER NOW AND IT'S RAINING OUTSIDE. THE KIDS ARE RUNNING AROUND OUTSIDE PLAYING GAMES...IN THE RAIN...ON PICTURE DAY...
I THINK OUR LAST GROUP WAS THE SPECIAL ED DEPARTMENT OF PRESCHOOL-- WHICH MEANT WHILE I WAS LOOKING THROUGHTHE CAMERA, JANELLE WAS KNEELING BELOW ME, HOLDING UP THE FROG PUPPET AND MAKIN HIM DANCE A JIG JUST BELOW THE LENS.TO MY SIDE WAS WHOMEVER WAS ASSIGNED TO HELP WITH THE CLASS, ALSO DANCING, SMILING AND CALLING THE THE KIDS SO THEY WOULD LOOK AT US AND SMILE AND KEEP THEIR HANDS DOWN. NEEDLESS TO SAY, WE HAD THREE PEOPLE CROWDED AROUND ONE CAMERA, JUMPING, TWITCHING AND CALLING OUT IN CARTOON VOICES WITH EACH KID. IT TOTALLY WORKED.
MY LAST KID FOR TODAY. SHE'S GOTTA BE ABOUT THREE YEARS OLD, AND HAS SOME KIND OF CONDITION THAT WON'T ALLOW HER TO SIT UP BY HERSELF. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS SMILE AT HER AND SHE LIGHTS UP LIKE A CHRISTMAS TREE. HER SMILE IS SO INNOCENT AND BRIGHT IT MAKES ME CRY-- BUT I DON'T. I JUST LOOK STRAIGHT BACK INTO HER UNBLINKING EYES AND KEEP SMILING. SHE'S TAKEN OUT OF THE ROOM IN A STROLLERAND WE WAVE GOODBYE.
SO, JANELLE IS AWESOME (AND SHE TOLD ME TO WRITE THAT)
AND THAT'S OUR DAY.
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