Montese at the Park

High Point City Lake Park in November 2010 had that particular quality of a late autumn afternoon, bare trees at the edges, dry grass catching the sun, and just enough chill in the air to make a black jacket necessary. Montese, four years old and entirely unbothered by the camera, had a park to explore and better things to do than stand still for it.

He climbed and crouched and pressed his face directly against the playground equipment to investigate whatever only he could see in there. He held a teal bucket overhead like he was making a point. He looked straight into the lens once, arms stretched wide above him, with an expression that was more question than pose. A friend had asked me to see what I could do to capture the day, and what I found was just a kid being a kid in the afternoon light.

That grin against the white painted wall at the end of the shoot said everything. I would go on to help care for Montese for about a year all told, but this was the beginning of that, just a Sunday at the park with a four year old who had absolutely no interest in slowing down.