This young lady is having a delightful time puddle jumping. Like Mary Poppins, a popular character and movie during the 1960s, she is defying gravity by putting much confidence in her jumping ability and the protection of her umbrella. As you can see by the smile on her face, she’s having a grand time showing off for my camera.

This picture was set to be part of a series that I was creating on orphanages to be published in America Illustrated, which was distributed all over Russia. Unfortunately, the mother changed her mind and would not allow the picture to be distributed internationally due to fear of others’ opinions of her daughter being called an “orphan,” which she felt was tantamount to “one who is impoverished.”

I had to start all over on the assignment, but this picture has remained one of my favorites. It represents the fearless approach to challenges that kids will take head-on.