Graduation Day: University Of Pennsylvania
Monday, May 17th, 2010
Chanel Ward: Masters Of Education
…….. As I entered the old stadium, it brought memories back of my childhood. My dad used to attend the Eagles games there and made countless hours of color video footage of the Penn relays during his film making days in the early 60’s. It was in those early movie frames, when my age was still in single digits that the majesty of the stadium became permanently embedded in my young psyche. Franklin Field as it was known then was one of the earliest examples of classic architecture that was innocently introduced to me by my father via his love of sports.
It wasn’t a sporting event that brought me there on this day.
It was the graduation of my daughter Chanel, with a Masters degree of Education about to be placed in her 22 year old hands. I looked all around trying to find the right place to prepare myself for the best possible photographic capture of this momentous occasion. I knew how important that moment was for Chanel, as well for all that have come to know and love her.
And then it came to me. I observed two large monitors, the kind you see at most sporting events these days, capture each student receiving that most important piece of paper, the diploma. I had a split second from the time her name was called to the moment I zeroed in on the huge screen, frame then trigger. It was a decisive moment that would be remembered for a life time, and I captured it! Congratulations to the Class of 2010.
