Spring Naturals

Ah, Springtime.....  Signs of Spring are all around us.  Daffodils are blooming in my yard along with the crocus flowers.  Cherry trees line our streets in sharp, crisp pink blossoms.  Blue birds are checking out all of the available Blue Bird houses and singing sweet, light songs; tree frogs serenade the cove at night and the Blue Heron calls out with the hope it will find a mate.  All of these things are sure signs that Spring has arrived!  For me this year, the Spring Naturals photography program by LifeTouch Photography has been added to the mix.  Although it's a very physical and demanding program this year - tons of equipment to be set up and broken down each day, I have to tell you I've been absolutely delighted to see the children! The younger the child, the more dressed up they are!  I wish you could see what I see.  They're so excited on photography day!  I'm seeing little girls in some of the most BEAUTIFUL dresses you can imagine, complete with white patent leather shoes, or sometimes black patent leather - sometimes even sparkly little slippers.  Their hair is topped off with ribbons, bows, crowns, and fancy barrettes.  The little boys are equally as fanciful; they're wearing the most adorable, tiny, tiny suits - with ties, or they might be wearing the softest pastel argyle sweaters.  They have on their Sunday shoes and their chests are raised with pride.  They're all so sweet; it makes me want to eat them up!!!  I can only imagine what the parents of these adorable little princes and princesses are telling them that morning. "Don't spill your food on your nice new clothes." or "Better not come home with magicmarker on that shirt!" and, "Be sure to smile real big for the camera, okay?"
Older elementary school kids and the middle school age children dress up too....well, most of them do.  One thing I'm seeing is some of the kids use picture day as an opportunity to show off their ideals and identities.  It's amazing to me. Take for instance one of my assignments the other day, I saw one young lady who was dressed totally Goth, with black-purple lipstick, dark black hair with purple streaks through it, wrist-bands, black leather vest with white shirt; I could tell she was sort of that outsider, you know, but she obviously stuck to her guns and wanted her picture made that would show her individuality.  She was standing in line for the pose I was working with, not talking to the other kids,  just listening to them. She said nothing and looked down most of the time.   Of course, I noticed her right away and as she came to the front of the line for her turn,  I said hello to her with a smile and she sort of gave me that "Hey....." response.  I said "You know what?  What you have on today is so totally cool.  I like what you've done with your hair!  I wish I could wear my hair like that!"  You should have seen her light up and with one of the most beautiful smiles of the entire day.  When I finished taking her picture, I said to her "Honey, you have such a beautiful smile, you should smile every chance you get!"  She beamed a smile back at me and said "Thanks!"  and walked away with her shoulders erect, not slumped like when she walked in.  
Don't get me wrong, I see lots of children that perhaps forgot it was picture day, or that perhaps didn't have the finest clothes to wear, but I treat them as if they are wearing garments spun with pure gold and I still tell them how great they look.  You might be surprised to know that they know they're not dressed like the other children who have on beautifully pressed clothes, fancy dresses or suite and ties....  However, I think it's a good opportunity for me to make them feel good about the way they are, and I can only hope that I'm clear - as are all of the other photographers, about the fact that I'm not there to judge them; I'm there to make them smile for me in such a way that I can capture that wonderful expression that shows what a great little person they are.  I truly believe with all my heart that what we say to children makes a difference; and that we, in that moment, never know exactly how what we say to them, or how we treat them will, can, or does influence them for the rest of their lives.
I also want to write out my feelings about teachers.  I've observed some of the most loving, giving, compassionate, dedicated teachers I've ever met in my life.  I've been amazed watching them work with these kids!  I've seen teachers and assistants work with special needs children that have made me literally have to turn away from them to gain my composure back because I was about to let the tears roll down my cheeks as I watched the pure, unbiased, LOVE that they have for those children.  The difficulties they must face in immeasurable.  I've seen teachers working with all ages of children, from all types of backgrounds.....it just makes me respect them and their jobs so much and I'm so thankful the North Carolina School System has them (and I don't even have children!!!)
Being a school photographer is very hard work.  There's tons of heavy equipment to carry around - especially for the Spring Naturals program.  We get up early - sometimes around 3:00 a.m. and leave our homes and families around 4:00 a.m. to be on site. Get all of that gear out of our vehicles, into the schools, set up, running and waiting for the children; when the session begins, (I'll just speak for myself here) I'm sweating bullets all day long working as fast as I can.  We usually don't have time to sit down or take a break during the entire time we're on site. Then, when we're finished taking the pictures, we have to do our paperwork, break down all of our gear, load it up, and drive home.  It's not by any means a corporate CEO's pay, but I know in my heart that sometimes, greater rewards come to us by means other than monetary gain.

For the veteran photographers, when I've worked on a site with them, I've noticed that the kids remember the photographer(s)  from the year before!  One of my best days so far in this job has been when the kids came up to me after I was finished with their class... are you ready for this?  They gave me hugs!!!  Talk about fighting back the tears!!!  It made me feel like I had just been given a million bucks!  As I was loading my equipment at the end of that day, the children were outside playing in a fenced in playground.  They stopped what they were doing, and came to the fence to watch me.  Of course I noticed the line of children at the fence and I turned to them smiling, waving and saying "Thank you for letting me come today!"  They jumped up and down and were shouting "Bye Ms. Gigi!  See you next year!"  waving as fast and hard as they could.    I smiled and waved back at them and got into my car, but before I left the school grounds, I turned back and I looked at those kids...still standing at the fence with one little hand grasping the chain-link fence and with the other hand still waving.
"That's our future right there." I thought to myself.  It made me feel good - and humbled.   I was a part of their little lives today....during Spring Naturals.....I love spring time.