At the start of my shoot last Sunday, I walked around the park looking for potential locations to shoot. I found a pier covered with seagulls. They dotted every inch of the railing. As I stood there staring at them, they stared right back. I wanted to run up and scare them all off, but for one reason or another I just stayed standing there, struck by their stillness.
Then my clients, the Jervis family, showed up. Lindsey, two years old, took one look at those birds and ran right down the middle of the pier. She threw her head back and giggled as the seagulls flew up and around her. She danced as though it was the greatest event of her little life.
When I look at this image I can still hear that giggle. It makes me think of my own childhood - how when we're young we don't hesitate. Why is it that when we get older we stop and over think everything? Why don't we just charge full steam ahead? Why not run down the pier, head thrown back and face full of laughter?
