What stories do your photos tell?

A good photo tells a story.

One of my favorite pictures from 2011 is one of my daughter and her teammates hugging after winning their semi final soccer game in penalty kicks against a Canadian team at an international  tournament we traveled to this summer.  It’s not a great picture that stands on its own, but there is a story behind it. 

This team started out as a group of players from all over our state, most of whom had never played together other than some practices.  Prior to this trip, they’d never played a game together.  None of the parents knew each other either.  We watched their frustration as they struggled through the first half of the tournament as they learned how to play with one another.  But by the second half of the tournament, a change had taken place…they were truly teammates, and they’d also become friends.

The game in which I took the picture I am talking about was a hard fought one, with the other team leading by one until the late in the second half when one of our players scored to tie it up.   They then went into penalty kicks to decide the game, and after some pressure filled moments, emerged victorious.  The girls then went on to win the final against a Swedish team.

There was so much emotion built up into the last moments of that game.  (By contrast, the final was not nearly as stressful…they won 5-0).   When they won the semi final,  the girls in the penalty kick lineup immediately grabbed each other into a hug and their other teammates came running over to join in.  I was caught up in the moment as well and didn’t capture the emotion on their faces when they realized they won.  But I did get their backs folded into a group hug and for me, and them, that was an important part of the story.  It was a moment of glory that I am sure they won’t forget.  That group hug has a prominent place in their photobook!

Do your photos tell a story?