Title: Secret of the Ooze
Taken: April 24, 2016 in Kingston, Rhode Island.
Shot with: Nikon D-3S camera body,
Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom lens.
Shot at: 24 mm, 1/1600 sec at f / 8.0, ISO 640
I have been fortunate enough to have a lot of moments in my life that I'll remember for a long time. There are photos I took on my wedding day, photos I have framed from my high school days and photos I've taken over the past few years with brides and grooms on their wedding day.
All of these photos represent a period of my life and, in 40 years or so, when I'm an old man chilling out at the senior citizen center, I'd like to be able to look back on these photos and smile at a life well lived.
But the beauty of being a photographer is that, by and large, I am the one TAKING the photos that will define a lifetime.
The photograph above might not mean much to folks outside of the context of college students at the University of Rhode Island but on a hot and humid spring day in Kingston last month, the university hosted its annual Oozeball competition and, to me, this photo perfectly captures the spirit of that day.
Why is that important? Why does that matter? Well, simply put, I was lucky enough to go to college and I know how magical those moments in college are to a young adult looking to find themselves.
In the photo above, a student was attempting to wash the mud and grime off of himself following a pretty intense game of mud volleyball. When he was least expecting it, his roommate literally came out of nowhere and tackled him back into the mud.
The two laughed and laughed and laughed for minutes at the exchange and, in an instant, I was transformed back to my own college days and the pranks my friends and I used to pull on each other.
These two students may or may not remember this day years from now but, in this instant, this shot perfectly captured the college spirit and the carefree attitude at this time in their lives.
I know if I were them, I would cherish it for the rest of my life as I do the memories I made in my own time in college.