174: summer reading

I realized as I was finishing the summer issue of the magazine I was working on,  I still needed a image for the cover  and nothing anyone submitted with articles was even close to working. I needed to submit the final files to the printer before morning. I was just trying to think of some sort of abstract image I could do with books or writing tools (pens, paper, computer. . .) and decided to run over to Mom & Dad's (my collection of dirty, barely-dressed little boys in tow) for their better lighting. When we got there a bunch of the other cousins were doing plays outside on the lawn. Half of the ones I brought & the ones already there had books & I thought maybe I could set up a photo with them in it.

This was my one attempt at that posed stuff. I told them any kid who was reading a book could be in the photo. I attempted to line them up and was going to figure out a cool angle and then when I finally almost had them straight, and took this, I realized every single one of them had their book upside down!  I started laughing because I wasn't even sure how they managed to coordinate that in about 10 seconds without speaking and with me right there lining them up, and then when I called them on it, the entire line of them (with totally straight faces) said they had no idea what I was talking about and told me clearly I must be upside down.

And then they were done cooperating some of the small ones ran away and the teenager couldn't be bothered to adjust his position because he was actually reading his book and was way more comfortable where he was and I remembered why I don't do portrait type of posed photography and gave up.

I wandered away to go back to my original plan and then realized a few minutes later the entire group of cousins was all piled on top of each other reading their various books . . . a few iphone pictures I took of the group are some of my favorite of the summer so far. (And one of those did make the cover of the magazine! )