Let’s just call this, that dress that I kept in my closet long enough to find the perfect backdrop. I saw Miami Beach, walked the shores of the Atlantic and thought I’d take some shots to mark the beginning of a life-changing year.
I was travelling sans photographer, although she gave me a tip, to set the camera timer. A lady hanging out at the beach watched me terribly fail to take my own pictures, and somewhere on my fifteenth try, she walked up to me and said, “Would you like me to help you out, I’m a professional photographer.”
I can’t explain how overjoyed and relieved I felt that a person, a pro-photog at that, was offering to help. She set the camera in seconds and told me to pose.
When we were done, I sat with her and we chatted a bit. Her name’s Barbara. She’s been a photographer for about 30-years, has travelled the world, and get this, she has been honored by the Metropolitan Museum of Art!
“The Met,” as it is normally called, is America’s largest art museum and even more popularly known for its star-studded fundraiser event, The Met Gala. Barbara has had two of her students’ art pieces, featured at “The Met”. We chatted about her visit to Maasai Land, Italy and the Victoria Falls, both from the Zimbabwean and Zambian sides.
I usually micro-manage my photo sessions, and check pictures during the shoot to make sure they look great. With Barbara, I posed and didn’t even bother to look at the pictures until I was back in Houston. I knew they were perfect.
To meet a stranger and share an unforgettable moment, not knowing if you will ever see each other again. Barbara, thank you.
