I have been taught that photography is about capturing moments and not merely observing what is going on around me so others can see what I see. I feel a sense of responsibility to carry my camera with me wherever I go because the thought of missing a shot is painful to me. Each time it happens, I swear to myself that I will always have my camera out and ready.

I saw this moment in the first few days of October in a park located in St. Louis. The sun was just beginning to set and over the crest of a hill I saw a mother who had brought her young child to the park to enjoy the cool fall weather. Silhouetted against the sunset, she began to hold her child up to enjoy the view.

It was a deeply personal moment that she shared with her child, and I felt honored to see it. I also felt a sense of duty to capture it. Lying on my stomach in the grass, I took a few frames and quietly admired the scene.

It is moments like these I have been taught to look for. As a photojournalist for the DAILY EGYPTIAN, I have to cover a lot of events that are not especially glamorous, but I am still responsible for finding moments that give a more personal view than what meets the eye. I don’t always find them, but I am constantly looking.

Every once in a while I capture a moment, and it is meaningful because I shared it in a way most people cannot. That is why I take pictures, because I want the reader to be able to experience those moments even though they were not there.