One day about a year ago after I rode my horse Travis in the riding ring, I decided to cool him off by walking him down the little rode that leads to the riding trail near the stable. I had gotten about half way to the trail when this guy suddenly steps out from behind and tree and asks me if he can take my picture. He had a professional looking camera, but he seemed odd, and I have had my fair share of weirdo encounters while riding my horses on the trail. I think this guy must have noticed the expression of my face because he told me that he didn’t mean to freak me out, but that he is taking a photography class at the local college and one of the assignments is to build a professional portfolio. Ok, you’re still weird though.
So the guy pulls out a school I.D., and shows me a credential for photography class that he said he is supposed to show people when he asks to take their picture. Well, ok, but probably you should start with that…. And I did let him know that he probably should show the I.D. FIRST. So I told him can take a picture of me on my horse, but it better not be for some weird crap. Photography dude assured me he is legit. And then photography guy admitted that he probably shouldn’t be stepping out from behind trees and asking women if he can take their photo. Yep, not a good idea.
So, photography dude takes several photos, and he shows me what they look like, and they look pretty good. He bids me goodbye and heads on down the rode with his camera. I noticed that he stopped to ask several other people to take their pictures, so that made me feel a little bit better, but in the back of my mind I still wondered if it was weird.
Fast forward about a month later I am walking down the road after riding Travis with one of the teenage girls from the stable. All of a sudden a red car pulls over, and a guy jumps out and exclaims, “I found you!” I realized it was photography dude. The girl who was with me had this odd expression on her face and she whispered to me that maybe we should run. But I told her what has happened previously. So photography dude whips out the picture he had taken of me on Travis, and hands it to me and says that he got an A+ for the photo, and that it won a prize in the photography show they had at school. Ok, that’s sort of cool. The girl who was with me agreed that it’s a cool photo. I did ask photography guy if he has quit popping out at people, and he laughed and said that he did stop doing that because people were getting pissed. Ok good. Perhaps some day he will actually be a great photographer…..well, as long as he is not popping out from behind trees on a road somewhere.
Life and What Not 