Robert Berry

Last fall, I got a random email from a young man named Robert Berry, a student at H. Grady Spruce High School in Southeast Dallas. I had randomly photographed a game between Dallas Lincoln and his Spruce Timberwolves in the winter of 2012, and he tracked me down through this blog after I posted a few photos from that game. He asked if I would come take some photos of him playing ball during his senior year, and after talking to him on the phone, I agreed. In my few brief encounters with Mr. Berry, I have been extremely impressed by this young man. He took the initiative to contact me and coordinate me shooting his basketball game as well as these portraits; and he was prepared to pay me for my services. He told me his father is not in his life, and I've never even met his mother. I later found out he was the student body president of his high school and does a lot of mentoring with younger kids. He's also 6' 8"! High schoolers these days often carry a reputation of being self-absorbed, shiftless and thoughtless. This young man has been anything but. I wish him the best as he goes on to study and play ball at Tuskeegee University.