By Scott Shephard
Maggie Shephard (aka Mary Deb)
I was the 3rd of the 3 living children my parents raised. I had a great and happy childhood though there is little photographic evidence of this. There are pictures of my brother and sister. But I seem to be largely absent. Why? It could have been family finances. Or it could have been that the novelty of taking pictures of their children had faded. I was, after all, a “tagalong.”
What does any of this have to do with this informal portrait of our amazing 3rd grandchild Maggie? I’m afraid to admit that she is a victim of what I am calling the “3rd child syndrome.” I have hundreds of photos of her oldest sister Glenyce. I have many hundred of her other sister Ibby. But I don’t have many of Maggie. But I have excuses.
The most plausible is that Maggie was born in a COVID year, which greatly limited our travel and contact in the first year. My other excuse is inexcusable: I’ve grown lazy in my photography. (Evidence: my “Photo A Day” blog has a total of 14 posts for 2025. That means I’ve missed over 150 days!)
Anyway, I’m trying to make it up to Maggie in that she’s pictured two days in a row.. She’s photogenic and comfortable in front of my camera. I have no real excuses . . . .
Canon R5 1/125 sec f/4 ISO 400