I'm Surrounded by Boys!!!

My life has always been surrounded by boys. I have three older brothers, and my only child, a son, has grown up into a fine young man. No sisters, and no daughters for me. When I signed up to become a Big Sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Idaho, I envisioned myself being matched with a little girl - baking cookies, sewing, etc. And then I was told about Cayden - a sweet, considerate 6 year old boy, who needed a “Big”. I quickly agreed to the match, thinking that since I am so experienced at doing ‘boy’ activities, why stop now? Cayden and I have only been together since March of this year, but it’s like I’ve know him forever. At a recent BBBS event, someone asked me if he was my son or my “Little”. I took that as a compliment, since it meant that we appear to be very comfortable with each other.


I always take my camera along on our outings, and I quickly share the prints with Cayden. His Mom displays appreciation for this by putting the pictures in a scrapbook as soon as possible. Photography is a hobby of mine, and I don’t typically let young children handle my cameras. But, I knew Cayden could be trusted. So, during our recent visits, I handed the camera to him and told him to shoot whatever he wants. His eyes lit up as he started looking at his surroundings with a totally different perspective. That is what is so wonderful about photography, it truly helps makes you aware of, and appreciate, everything that’s around you. Cayden has quickly learned the functions of the camera, and when composing a photo, he announces to me that he is going to “zoom in” and “focus” on a certain subject, or he’ll tell me just how he positioned the subject in the frame. After reviewing his pictures, it appears that he has a natural eye for photography. His ability to place some objects in the foreground, his use of diagonal lines, and his natural tendency to follow the “Rule of Thirds” has amazed me. Okay, so some of the brilliant composition is accidental due to camera movement during the shutter release. But, I still think he’s a natural!


Ah…the world as seen through the eyes of a child. It’s a perspective that we all should step back and enjoy once in awhile. To me, these are award winning photos because they were shot by my “Little”. These are not images that we, as boring-old adults, would shoot (for example, shots taken from inside the car while we drive down Fairview Avenue). Instead, we worry too much about whether or not our subjects are still saying “cheese” by the time the darn digital flash goes off. Each of Cayden’s images reflects a moment in time that was frozen by a little boy’s ability to recognize the beauty of his surroundings. What fun it is to watch him as he positions the camera, carefully presses the button, and then lets out an exuberant shout of “I got it!”. These are moments in time that I shall treasure forever.