All About You FRIDAY – Me and My Nikon

When I was twelve years old, my dad gifted me with my first 35mm camera. I had been waiting for a long time to get a “real” camera like the ones my father owned. I marveled at his Hasselblad 500 and Leica SLR for as long as I could remember, but I wasn’t allowed to use them. “When you get older,” my dad would say, “I’ll get you one like this.” In the meantime, he gave me a Polaroid camera and then graduated me to a Kodak Tele-Instamatic, the ancient version of the point-and-click. I patiently shot hundreds, if not thousands, of photos with those cameras, learning about composition and capturing history on the fly. But I longed for the chance to change lenses and zoom in on objects.

On August 5, 1979, I had come of age. He handed me a wrapped box and I ripped it open with great excitement. Imagine his surprise when I burst into tears of disappointment. Inside the box was indeed a Minolta 35mm camera, meaning it used 35mm film, but it was a small rectangular thing that didn’t allow for interchangeable lenses. He tried to comfort me as I covered my face and sobbed, but I felt like all my years of toil and patience (I sincerely felt this way) had been for nothing. I would shoot with that camera for another couple of years before my father bought me one with interchangeable lenses.

I still have that camera. It sits on a shelf in my home office, a reminder of my journey of looking through the lens and all I learned with those simple cameras. Now I have a Nikon D800 with a whole kit of lenses, everything ranging from 12-24mm wide angle lens to a 70-200mm telephoto and a few prime portrait lenses that capture amazing detail. I’ve been hired to shoot weddings, portraits, headshots, pets, architecture and events. But one of my best projects has been capturing the faces of some of the most beautiful kids I’ve ever seen and they attend Troy Adventist Academy Preschool.

This school is associated with my church, a church I have attended since I was a child. And I have been on the board of TAAP for many years, attending monthly meetings and weighing in on important topics. But it wasn’t until I was asked to photograph the kids did I realize the hidden gem this school is. It is a Christian school that serves only vegetarian meals in the heart of Troy, MI, and as a result it draws a large number of Asian Indian Hindu children.

Have you ever tried to photograph a 2-year old who may or may not speak English and who is terrified of anyone who is not his mother, let alone someone who is pointing a large lens while making him sit in front of two large strobe lights? It’s an adventure. Teachers blow bubbles and hold stuffed animals above my head to get the kid to smile. They speak softly and comfort them while they wipe snot off the child’s face. Sometimes I photograph more than 60 children in a few hours. Somehow, we get it all done. And we get beautiful smiles and photos that will grace albums and frames for years to come.

I photograph these children as infants and then each year until they are four, when I take their pictures for the final time in their little white cap and gown as they are ready to graduate to kindergarten.

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” I always ask.

You will be happy to know that Troy will not be at a loss for doctors, policeman, teachers, truck drivers and astronauts. By this time, they know me well. “Miss Sherry!” they say as they come up for a hug or a high five.

Inside the walls of TAAP are some of the most dedicated teachers you will ever meet. Their philosophy: We believe that every child is a precious gift from God, and it is our desire to provide a place where children are cherished and their families feel respected and welcomed every day.

This preschool, like many others, is struggling due to the opening of the FreePreschool program launched by the city. They had the opportunity to become a free preschool, but as with other government-funded programs, the rules would have prohibited prayer and the mention of God or Jesus between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. To them, that was non-negotiable. Their mission is clear. Above learning the ABC’s, it is more important to them that the children grow up knowing God loves them.

I’ll never forget one photo session when a young girl was petrified to have her picture taken. She was literally shaking as she was walking towards my set-up, tears in her eyes. She was trying to be brave, but as she got closer, her fear overtook her. She stopped and said, “I need to pray! I need to pray!” as the tears streamed down her cheeks. And right then and there, her teacher held her hand and they knelt in the middle of the hallway as they prayed for her to be brave and to take her fear away.

Then she stood up, her entire countenance changed and she marched onto my set and smiled the most beautiful smile. Her fears instantly vanished by her faith that was nurtured by the loving people at this preschool.

“There is a mission here,” I said at the last board meeting when we were discussing difficult finances. “People will always want a place like this.” Keep on keeping on. A difference will be made one child at a time.

I learn a lot from looking through the lens of my Nikon. And I have my dad to thank for that.

It’s been a long week. Don’t forget to celebrate.

Until next time…