I don’t think I’ve ever photographed Richie before without a bat or a glove in his hand. I’m sure I’ve never had an adult conversation with him, since he was probably around eleven or twelve the last time I saw him. But he is a young adult now, able to comfortably chat about educational goals, restaurant recommendations, and the advisability of catching flying bits of food in one’s mouth when flipped by a teppenyaki chef to a receiver wearing a dinner jacket.
He’s also very skilled at reading when the photographer thinks she’s nailed the shot and then changing up his expression or pose without being directed so that we can move on very quickly. I guess it’s all those years of being coached in athletics–he remembers the chin angle I want, the stance, and what to do with his limbs after being walked through the motions once. As a result, we got a lot of great images in an hour-long session.
We also got pictures of him with his dog, Cal, who is a retired racer. The bond between them is very obvious, and it was wonderful to be able to photograph them together.
It was really gratifying to see how mature he is, in the middle of his senior year, and almost ready to launch into the world.
Nancy, I’m so impressed with how wonderful you are as a photographer but I see your amazing mother attributes come through. Thanks for making Richie be at ease – he is so shy. We had such a nice time and enjoyed catching up!! The images are amazing
Richie is shy? I wouldn’t have known it. He impressed me so much with how well he could converse! I really enjoyed spending the time with him!