I clicked Pandora on and those laughing blue eyes came alive as he looked over from the passenger seat with a nod then belted out the lyrics. Laughingly his sister Lizzy and I cheered him on. Glen sang along with with his pals Rihanna, Madonna and Lupe during every break from the blistering Illinois heat.
While obsessively fixing Glen's tie for the millionth time I explained my philosophy for fitting in when I shoot in the "ghetto". I think I mentioned something about playing my music a little louder and rolling the windows down. Somehow my goofiness tickled Glen's funny bone at just the right moment. "Click!" Perfect shot!
The three of us had braved three hours in the thick mugginess you come to associate with midwestern summers. Deciding to reward ourselves with a trip to the golden arches we packed up Glen's carefully selected outfits in the back of my SUV and headed in the direction of sweet tea.
I slid across the plastic bench and guzzled my beverage. Our chatter bounced along caring us back to stilly childhood memories. I quickly realized how close this small family was as Glen told me in detail about the birthday party he and Lizzy planned for their dad last year. I couldn't miss the quiet moment between the two siblings and the tear in his eye. So many things have changed since this spring when their father was diagnosed with cancer.
The more I get to know Glen the more I am impressed. He has such a huge heart and truly cares about his family and friends. I am pleased to say I have not only had the pleasure of photographing yet another amazing person but I have made a new friend along the way.
My best, Laura