Hahaha!

I miss being a student. Yah, I know, I like being a teacher too. Can’t really be both at the same time. Sometimes though, I reminiece about the university days. Staying up late. Procrastinating work. Weekends starting on Thursdays. Gaining the Freshman 15. What am I talking about? All that still applies to me now. [Insert laughs here].

As time passes, even when we may do the same things, the feeling is different. Being young, there’s a carefree spirit that comes with being excited and fearful of the future. These last few years, I finally felt what adulthood meant. Responsibility. When I was young, I spent a lot of time worrying. Now that I’m older, I don’t have the time to worry. I just do it. Well, I still worry, but I’m so tired nowadays, there’s very little time to toss and turn in bed wondering if everything will be okay the next day.

When I got the opportunity to photograph these ladies after their first year of university I was surprised at what I was thinking during the editing process. I wasn’t thinking of which angles flattered the subject. I wasn’t thinking of what to dodge or burn. I wasn’t even thinking of what lighting worked the best. My focus was on how every picture, these girls were laughing. Some of them they were laughing at me. Well, why would you not want to laugh at me? But most of the time, they were just genuinely happy.

I think I get so caught up in adulthood that laughing for the moment is fleeting. Thanks Cortney, Gloria, Vanessa, Steph, Natasha, and Yolli for reminding me that a smile is ageless. You made it through the first year of uni and maybe some tears were shed and a lot of all nighters were experienced. But you made the crazy journey and the most important life lesson you learned was to never lose that laughter.

It wouldn’t be a successful photo session without the excitement of a jump shot.