Pack the camera bag with recharged batteries, lenses, empty memory cards and flash/lighting equipment. Rush out the door double checking the equipment needed and finding my way to the shoot, making sure to arrive early to scope out the set. Knowing every detail and observing the light that this new day brings. Hours later the intensity weakens, several flash cards are filled, batteries are used up and I load the car for my journey back home to the office. Downloading the pictures, cleaning the equipment and recharging once again, as I continue to edit, rename and organize the images from the event. Burning CD’s and uploading to my website I relive the event, the occasion, and the memories of the day.
Now this would be a typical day of one photo shoot, but the month of May makes that day feel like a walk in the park. My part time photography job at Darlington School becomes a full time, month long 24/7 job in May. There is no time to get sick, my son’s birthday gets pushed aside, and kids music lessons and soccer practices are missed because I can’t get away from the shoot in time. My hands callused, my memory cards are all filled with thousands of photographs, my back screams in pain, and my eyes burn from staring at the computer and only sleeping a couple hours a night. How I crave for a one hour nap.
The reward is simple, pure and pleasurable. After the full year of weekly school visits, getting to know the students. Not just as subjects in my lenses, or faces on brochures, but as new friends. They “friend” me on Facebook where I can see, especially the seniors, grow to be wonderful young adults. They post my pictures from events at school. Sharing the great memories they created. Seeing the picture published once more I learn how joyous the occasion with the words in the captions. I helped capture the memories they can treasure forever, with a simple picture.
My month of May … crazy! My reward … Priceless!
OMG! You've just described how I felt after May finished. Only I did a shortened version of NaNo in addition to rushing my youngest through the last blissful days of seventh grade. The graduation thing will happen next year and I can just imagine how busy I'll be. Your photography inspires me so much, since it's my hobby. It's my way of breaking away from my stories and capturing a sense of life from elsewhere when my eyes blur, I long for a nap, and my back aches from sitting too long.
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