Christmas Afternoon

these are photos from my family opening their gifts this afternoon. D70 + SB800, if you want to know.

This morning we woke at six and went to a town about an hour inland called Immokalee, where all the Central American (mostly Mexican and Guatemalan) migrant workers live and work. Every year for the past three years we've gone to set up toys that the children of the workers can pick from and sit with Santa and have their photo taken with him. Also we set up a hot lunch of beans, chicken, various vegetables and day-old pastries donated by local supermarkets so that the families can have a warm meal on the holiday. Also local business chip in and donate cash that goes towards purchases of blankets, clothes and necessities such as diapers and baby formula.

This being the fourth year that we've gone, it's eerie to see the same faces over and over again. I get to see these children grow up and their parents grow older. Some who were just babies when we started coming are talking and walking and running....it's surreal i guess for lack of a better term. What's scary is seeing these girls who were eleven, but are now fifteen and have a baby in a stroller and have one more on the way.

I shot six rolls of film out there with my F100, so expect a full write-up once i get those things developed at work tomorrow.

Merry Christmas everyone, I hope it was a good one.