This is my cousin, Pat, and his son Riley. I had been out shooting and stopped for a visit, and I’m glad I carried my camera in with me when I did. There are a lot of shots I can pull off with my iPhone, but this wouldn’t have been one of them. A lot of my work, the stuff I shoot, doesn’t really matter, but this one does. It’s a documented split second in time that will serve as a reminder as to what kind of relationship he had with his dad at this point in his life, when both Pat and me are no longer here. Out of all the beautiful stuff I shot while I was home that week, this one has the most potential to stand the test of time and really matter to somebody one day years from now. I love this photo.

On the left is a shot I took of Riley checking out my camera — fascinated by it — and on the right is the first shot he took of his dad when I held it in front of him and let him go to work mashing the shutter button. It’s a good thing it was a digital camera because I would imagine he rattled off 50+ shots on it. I was amused that this was the very first of the bunch and that he captured such a fun expression on his dads face. Good job, Riley.