he never noticed I was there

I was using a 35mm lens…which means I couldn’t zoom in or out. He was up there for a couple hours reading, so I took a couple minutes to capture his favorite past time. When it looks like I was up close to him, I really was that close. He didn’t bat an eye. He didn’t look at me. He didn’t turn away or say a word. He moved around, shifted positions, but never acknowledged I was in the room. When he picks up a book, he gets completely lost. This is his favorite place to sneak away.  I love that about him. I don’t talk about homeschooling often, but I will say this is one of my favorite parts – he’s got all the time in the world to sneak away with a book.

I took this picture 2.5 years ago:

When I posted that picture two years ago, I wrote the following words, “think about the things that make up your days that don’t always seem “photo worthy”…and challenge yourself to capture those things. Change your angle and try a new perspective on a normal event/item.”

I know my kids aren’t very old, but I am already seeing in him, that kids kind of just build on who they are over time. He is still pretty much the same kid he was at age 7, 5 and even 3. Of course, he has changed and grown…but the heart and unique traits of my boy are the same. So, I’ll keep capturing images of him reading. Just maybe one day he’ll look back at them with fondness remembering how he has always loved to read. Maybe his younger brother will look back and think similar thoughts regarding nature. And another son regarding building. And a daughter regarding performing. And another daughter that we are still discovering her joys….

Photography isn’t so much a gift that is given only to certain people. It is a gift that we can give. A gift we give ourselves. A gift we give others. At least that is the way I see it.

These photos of my boy…they are a gift to me. And to him.