Rock-skipping. If you do a quick search, the technique goes a little something like this: 

With the rock parallel to the water, bend your wrist back, but try to keep your chest facing the water. Whip your arm forward, releasing the rock when it comes across your body so it’s parallel to the water. Try to flick your wrist at the end and spin the rock so it bounces off the surface.

Rei Staff, How to Skip a Rock, (Rie.com, 2019)

It seems easy enough, right? Wrong! To say it’s an art I’ve never mastered would be an understatement. I can maybe get two skips. Three, and I’m thinking I should be entered into some kind of river rock-skipping tournament. 

This Sunday afternoon spent with the Casey family was so much fun! We walked around to several different locations and chatted in the in-between moments. It was a normal shoot most of the day, but ended a little differently. The last shots were down by the river. After the supposed last shot, they picked up rocks and started skipping them. When I tell you they are phenomenal, this is NO lie. One rock went all the way to the other side (and gave me a quick reality check on entering a tournament for three skips)! Was there anything crazy about those ten minutes of rock skipping? Probably not to most people. However, it’s in simple moments like this you see the bond and love between a family. The banter, the competitiveness, and so many laughs. To quote Tim McGraw, they were quite literally skipping rocks on the river by the railroad tracks. It also gave me a chance to snap this picture. This was initially a throwaway picture, but ended up being one of my favorite pictures from this session!

Casey family, thank you for giving me the opportunity to see the beauty and capture those simple but precious moments between you all!