Poser

Jesse at 13.

In January 2011 I wrote my first blog post about my nephew, Jesse, who was 13 at the time.

This is what I had to say about him then:

“My … nephew is an upstanding young man. He is an excellent all-round sportsman, having won several awards and provincial colours, is very good academically (with an 85% average at the end of Grade 7) and will be starting high school at Pretoria Boys High next year … His only flaw, and something that will surely set him up to play the part of Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, or other bit pieces involving animals, is his ability to low like a cow, bray like a donkey, and shriek like one of those monster flying creatures in Lord of the Rings – all while yawning. This has been his unique form of outlet in our shared hell of cabin fever what with the rainy weather – something that has done nothing for my nerves. And something that is “sure” to endear him to the female species (with which he is becoming increasingly obsessed in that awkward adolescent time of life).”

This December / January I again went on holiday to the coast with the family, but this time the weather co-operated and I saw little of my nephew who seemed to be off fishing, swimming or playing board games with friends 24/7. Jesse is now a strapping 15-year-old, and fortunately seems to have outgrown his impersonation of animals (see above). Whenever I came across him on the beach he asked if I would do a photo shoot for him. These are some of the results:

Jesse (middle) with his sister and a few holiday friends.

Running in shallow water (and me playing with silhouettes)

Training with a friend

In the lagoon. Model pose.

Walking on the dunes

A quick pose on the dune across the lagoon

Footprints and a cloudy sky

Running down the dune

Striding

Handstand (with a friend)

The “James Bond” exit

Towel boy

Towel boy: model pose

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