Confessions of a Portrait Photographer

My parents took us on outdoor adventures almost every weekend. And from an early age (9-10), I always carried a camera. I loved capturing the landscapes, our dogs, or fun stuff that we would do as kids…as you can see from the couple of images. Nothing earth shattering…but I was also working with a 110 film camera.

This particular day , (I was about 10 and my brother 7) I was hungry for something a wee bit more exciting…so my brother was walking beside me. To his left was a “slight” drop off leading down to a gully filled with leaves. As we were walking, I spied a root coming up on the trail. I knew if I gave my brother a slight nudge, he would loose his footing and instinctively grab the root. I got my finger ready on the camera…and then gave a little push. AND BINGO, the action shot I saw in my head!!! Back in those days, we had to wait for the film to be developed. I was ecstatic when I saw this photo. Luckily, my parents didn’t punish me too much; they encouraged my creativity!

My brother on the other hand…has worked the story into a HUGE “fish story!” At his wedding, all his friends and future relatives came up to me and said…”so, you’re the sister that pushed him off the CLIFF, for a photo.” They also mentioned the time I tried to jump him with my ten-speed bike and missed, that was my Evel Knievel phase…luckily for him that phase died quickly!