As a photographer I am often looking for some sort of visual 'thing' that makes a picture stand out from another or that can aid in drawing people to look closer at the image or the page in which the photo appears. As I was photographing Abby last week she had animated expressions, so I keyed in on her for awhile hoping to get a picture that showed her curiosity and intelligence. As she worked with a student from Allegheny College who began using her hands to demonstrated visually Newtons 3rd(?) law of motion I tried to get those hands in play somehow within my frame and this was the result--well one of the results. I would choose this picture over others where the hand is not over Abby's face simply because it makes you stop and look closer to see what is happening, and even if you determine it to be distracting you probably took the time to read the caption to find out what is going on--if I get you to do that--I've given you information on the story--I've done my job. Now if the hand obliterated Abby's eyes and I didn't capture the expression, it wouldn't have been as affective. This story was about an after school program geared to help young people who perhaps struggle in the system of a classroom education. It is obvious to me that Abby and several of the others in this program are bright kids, they just need to find the right combination of stimulation and desire to learn and the type of approach and environment that fits them. For me, when I was young, it turned out to be in the art room and strangely enough, even that wasn't perfect for me as I learned I was a purely independent learner that learned based on a need, not on a structure that bopped me from one subject to the next without firmly grasping any of it. Art and learning to make a body of work -- a goal to reach for beyond a grade on a test. And most of all--seeking answers so that I have further questions. And thats something that images like this one have the potential to do--draw you in with a question, perhaps give you an answer and maybe help you think of further questions to ask. Meadville Tribune photograph by Richard Sayer.