The Assignment

The scavenger hunt item is to take a photo of someone jumping.
She jumps.
I click.
I hold the shutter open longer to capture motion.
I adjust the aperture.
She jumps.
I click.
She loves to be a model for my class.
Week after week.
"Honey, look off to the side."
"Abby, run towards me."
"Okay, now lick your lips."
She jumps.
I click.
We print the photos up for class.
We assess.
We critique.
"Oooh, nice motion."
"She looks like a little hummingbird."
"I like how you’re focused on her face."
"How many times did you have to get her to jump to get that shot?"
What they don’t know is that this was the easiest photo to capture.
This is her in her natural state.
She ceases to exist when she hits the ground.
She jumps.
I smile.