I've lived in my home for 30 years now. In that 30 years, I have seen a lot of changes in my community and my neighborhood. One thing that has remained a constant though, are the people who live on my particular street. Some were here when I moved in, and most have been here 20 or more years. There is a comfort in knowing your neighbors and enjoying long term acquaintances and friendships with them. We look out for and check up on each other, we tell each other when we are going to be away and watch over each other's homes. In times of illness we have had meals delivered while my wife was recovering from surgery, in good times  enjoyed golf and vacations with neighbors. The list goes on. This week I had the pleasure of enjoying another moment that could only happen in a neighborhood like mine....

I first started taking photography serious about 25 years ago, bought a medium format Mamiya outfit and built a studio in my basement of my fairly new house. I was going to be a wedding and portrait photographer. My new next door neighbors had two very pretty high school aged daughters who I approached to sit for me in my studio so I could practice lighting and posing techniques. I was not good, and the sessions were awkward. I was shy and not confident, and they were shyer. Yet, we eventually created some nice portraits and I learned from our experiences. 

Fast forward some 25 years. My previously mentioned neighbors still live next door, and their and my family have gone through many life events such as births, marriages and deaths. We know each other well, and have shared the joy and grief of many of these events. 

Today was one of those moments of joy. The daughter of the eldest daughter whom I photographed 25 years ago, had her high school grad ceremony today, and I was asked if I would take photographs of her and her date at a local park where all of the high school grads in town were gathering for celebrations and photography. 

There must have been 500 students dressed in suits, tuxedos and gorgeous evening gowns, accompanied by friends, parents and family members, and an abundance of photographers from cell phone snap shooters to people carrying high end gear, in the park jockying for position and favored backdrops. It was organized chaos, but  a feeling of euphoria seemed to permeate the park as those graduating celebrated this right of passage. 

Back to photography. My neighbors are my friends, I offered to take the  photos for free. I told them we could shoot any groupings they wanted, parents, grandparents, family shots, etc. They were all there to celebrate, so lets take advantage and make great memories for everyone. When we were done, the mother of the graduate handed me a hand full of cash. I smiled and gave it back to her, and then told them all the story  about how they helped me get started 25 years ago. I valued their help then, and value their friendship today. 

Whether you photograph for money or for pleasure, photographs are for sharing. They are important as they capture moments in time that may never be repeated. Today I helped my neighbors make memories that they can share for a lifetime, just as I have shared their friendship for 2+ decades. You can't put a price tag on a priceless memory or good neighbors....

Thank you to all my neighbors, long term and short. You are why our neighborhood is an amazing place to live and I could not imagine living anywhere else.