Climbing wall

Jamaree Lloyd, 4, plays peek-a-boo with his brother JaQuan Beaman, 9, not pictured, around a climbing wall at Pendleton King Park, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2008, in Augusta, Ga. RAINIER EHRHARDT/STAFF

Above is an outtake from a standalone assignment I had on Sunday. A standalone is a photo that we, the photographers, generate that stands alone (hence the name) without needing a story to go along with it.

Each photographer has his or her favorite spots to go looking for a standalone. Mine usually involve parks, because, well, I'm going to admit it, kids are really really really photogenic. Plus, they rarely object to you being there, and depending on how old they are, they haven't developed a fear or repulsion of the camera yet. And parents are usually ecstatic to find out their kid is going to be in the newspaper. It's a win win situation for everyone.

If you look at Monday's Augusta Chronicle, you'll note a photo similar to this one in print. This is because Jamaree was a great subject and there were many pictures for me to take as he played with his brother on the playground.

I thought long and hard about which one to submit for print, finally giving up and sending both to the copy editor to let her choose. They're both cute in their own ways.

Thanks for looking

Rainier