Atlanta With the Band Seniors

Whirlwind Trip

Last week, Jaylin and the other Harding Academy Band seniors made a trip to Atlanta. Technically, they are now graduates and not seniors, as this trip occurred after their graduation. But it was a senior trip of sorts. I went along as a van driver and an occasional group photographer.

What all did we do? We visited the Skyview Ferris Wheel, Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, College Football Hall of Fame, and Six Flags. And we ate at the Varsity, too. From all of that, you might think that we were there for a week, but we did all of that in three days, including driving there and back. It was a whirlwind trip, but it was a good trip with a great group of people.

Group Photos

I have plenty of photos to share from the different places that we visited, but those will wait until later. For now, here are a few group photos that I took in different places.

As it turns out, one of the times on the schedule was labeled as “Group Photo”. We had the group (minus one who came later), we had a good cityscape backdrop, and I had my camera. So we took the group photo. This was just after we visited the World of Coca-Cola, by the way. Knowing the importance of looking back on things like this in the future, I was glad that we had the time to take a photo. But someone was missing, besides the one who came later…

What would a band be without its director? So Colby got into the photo, too.

The next day, we visited the College Football Hall of Fame, and we picked up the remaining member of the group. So that called for another group photo. But you might also notice an additional person in the photo above.

Our guide at the museum was Terry LeCount. He played football at the University of Florida in the 1970s, and then he played in the NFL for nine seasons, too. He was a great guide and took good care of us while we were there. And, of course, we had to get a photo of him and Jaylin together, since Jaylin had worn one of his Florida shirts that day.

And yes, if you are wondering, we went to the College Football Hall of Fame and Six Flags and drove back home all in one day. Caffeine was the van drivers’ friend that night, as you might imagine.

Everyone seemed to have a good time, and we got everywhere safely, too. So I would say that it was a good trip. I am thankful for the opportunity to have gone.

Bible Verse

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. - 1 John 4:7

About the Photos

One of these photos was taken with my iPhone, while the others were taken with my camera. If you were just browsing through, you might have a difficult time telling which one is different, although the change in aspect ratio might give it away. I did not take my camera to Six Flags, so that I would not have to figure out what to do with it while riding the rides. So for that photo, I just used my phone. But I did run all of the photos through Luminar AI to tweak them just a bit, making them all just a little easier on the eyes.

Photo: Each photo is a single Raw exposure, processed in Luminar AI. Read more about photography tips, photo software, camera gear, and more at Steve’s Photography Tips.
Camera: Sony Alpha A7 II
Lens: Sony FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS Lens and iPhone XR
Date: May 22-24, 2021
Location: Atlanta, Georgia