Leddie with Children, 1990 When setting up my camera and equipment at Leddie’s home on Sloan Mountain in 1990, I knew the making of this photograph was going to be special. I had been photographing this family for about five years. My personal relationships were established and I now just worked intuitively. While climbing the hill to Leddie’s home, carrying my equipment in the summer heat, the children kept shouting to me, "Take my picture, take my picture." One girl said, "I want my picture made by myself." I felt like the Pied Piper, camera in hand with the children following. It was 6:30 p.m. and the glistening light was starting to fade -- I knew I had only a short time to set up and make this photograph. My thoughts were to challenge myself compositionally by making the porch post the center of the photograph. I created the perspective and depth in the photograph by setting up the camera only three feet from the front center post and using a wide angle lens. I divided the children into two groups, placing Leddie, the grandmother, in a sitting position, just off center. I allowed the children to place themselves left and right of the center post. There were three light sources to contend with. All the while my mind was racing. I wanted to convey both the intimacy of a child’s curiosity within a vast family landscape and to capture the beauty of the Appalachian mountain’s evening light. Return