AJ loves his truck and his sousaphone. He worked many hours to buy the truck, and he worked even longer carrying the sousaphone around for marching band until now he almost doesn’t notice the weight of it. I only carried half its weight for a few seconds, and it’s not an instrument for the weak.
Lebanon has charming backgrounds in every direction, but pretty much any tableau can be improved by the addition of a sousaphone. AJ used to like the trains when he was a small boy living in Lebanon, so we got permission from the railroad to be on the property that morning, and the assurance that the trains weren’t moving.
Obligatory reminder: Train tracks and railway stations are private property. Don’t go near the tracks or trains without permission from the railroad company. They don’t want trespassers for obvious safety reasons. The Lebanon Mason and Monroe Railroad has always been great when I’ve called them to check on their schedule and ask for permission. If I schedule my session when they aren’t running their train rides (which is quite often, because they are popular!) or moving their trains to maintain them, they are very gracious about giving photographers permission take pictures next to the trains and standing on the tracks.
Returning to AJ, we had a few non-train spots I wanted to take his picture, so we walked a few blocks around town. His mom just tore her Achilles tendon a few months ago and had only been mobile with a cane for a short time. She kept telling us to go on ahead and let her catch up, but AJ didn’t want to leave her behind, so he made sure we stopped often to take pictures. The act of volunteering to take more photos, knowing I would needle him endlessly until he gave me the real smile (and not the creepy fake one), was evidence of his respect and affection for his mother.
I think she might even rival the truck and the sousa.
Leave A Comment