An 8th Grade Graduation Procession: Back in June my granddaughter, Giovanna, Gio, graduated the 8th grade. Of course I took about a million photographs and am finally, hopefully...

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

Back in June my granddaughter, Giovanna, Gio, graduated the 8th grade. Of course I took about a million photographs and am finally, hopefully, finishing up the post processing. I came across this photo which is definitely not a great photo and is NOT my granddaughter, that depicts the usage of phones as cameras in society these days.

Please feel free to make any comments.

Dennis

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Quixdraw Loc: x

I had a guy front and center with a phone set up on a tripod at a show I photograph for the cast every year. No way to work around it but with strange crops and sometimes post, a lot of work and nasty!

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

Quixdraw wrote:

I had a guy front and center with a phone set up on a tripod at a show I photograph for the cast every year. No way to work around it but with strange crops and sometimes post, a lot of work and nasty!

I know what you mean. When Mitt Romney was running for President my brother and I went to a rally in Pueblo, CO to photograph the occasion. Some of the people ahead of us thought nothing about raising their phone over their head to take Romney's photo. I have a couple of shots with Romney front and center on their phone. Of course it blocked my photo but I still got many.

When I took this photo and many like it, most that did not come out and were deleted, I was so busy photographing I did not see what was going on around me. I never noticed the cell phones out until I saw the photo on my computer.

Thanks for taking a look and commenting.

Dennis

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

I have always wondered about such graduations (my kids and grandkids went through them, too, and I took photos). To me, a graduation is the end of something. Kindergarteners just go on the first grade, elementary schoolers just go on to middle school or whatever, and these go on to high school, a legitimate end of the road for many, hence, a legitimate graduation. College is a choice rather than a requirement, so it’s another legitimate beginning and ending with another graduation.

I have come to the conclusion that these pseudo graduations are designed to placate parents and are akin to everyone getting a trophy, even those finishing last. A five-year-old running around in a cap and gown--seriously?

I also assume that I am in the minority with this thinking and that many will take offense. My replies would be, “Fine, that’s your opinion and I have mine, both probably legitimate."

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

The guy in the T-shirt at least wore a coat.

St.Mary's

Checking via my "Way Back" machine, kindergarten graduations are nothing new. They were taking place back in the 1940s. Needless to say his gave mothers and grandmothers the opportunity to say that was "so cute". Personally, not fond of cute.

Mike Foster

Right on -you hit the nail on the head!!!

bobbyjohn Loc: Dallas, TX

jaymatt wrote:

I have come to the conclusion that these pseudo graduations are designed to placate parents and are akin to everyone getting a trophy, even those finishing last.

Agree wholeheartedly! I graduated from St. John's University in Jan. 1970. So, if I wished to walk the stage, I would have had to wait till May or June when the actual graduation ceremony would take place. Since I was already in the workforce, and college was only in hindsight, I elect to pass on the graduation ceremony...as totally unnecessary.

bertloomis Loc: Fort Worth, Texas

It interests and disappointments me that just because the cell phone is a vertical device that so many people take videos in vertical format. I have refused to watch them in the past but it is getting difficult since there are so many and if I don't watch any I will be missing out.

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

jaymatt wrote:

I have always wondered about such graduations (my ... (show quote)

No, John you are not in the minority at all. I know these things go on in some districts but I went from the 8th grade right into the 9th grade. No graduation at all. It surprised me that my granddaughter's school, a Catholic School, had a formal type graduation. Of course there were no caps and gowns but still the procession and so on. While I do not really mind it and it did give my wife and I an excuse to fly to Pittsburgh for the occasion I am not used to it.

Trust me on this, I take no offense whatsoever. It is different for me too. Different strokes I think it is called.

Dennis

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

Mike Foster wrote:

Right on -you hit the nail on the head!!!

Mike with all due respect, who are you talking to? I see you are new to the forum. It helps a lot if before you post a reply, you click on Quote Reply first. That way it lets us all know who you are replying to.

Dennis

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

bobbyjohn wrote:

Agree wholeheartedly! I graduated from St. John's University in Jan. 1970. So, if I wished to walk the stage, I would have had to wait till May or June when the actual graduation ceremony would take place. Since I was already in the workforce, and college was only in hindsight, I elect to pass on the graduation ceremony...as totally unnecessary.

I think many do that. I never stuck around for my AS degree either.

Dennis