Lights, Camera, Action

Ty is one of those people who just makes you feel relaxed the moment you meet him.  I've known Ty a little bit for several years, but this project has allowed me to really get to know him and I'm honored that he wanted to participate.  The way this visual came together was one of those "I can't believe that happened" moments. I researched ideas, researched locations and ended up photographing him in my own backyard of Webster Park.  An important piece of the image was a sunset that would provide a "California-like" feeling.  As we all know, who live in western NY, we can't always plan on a beautiful sunset, but we actually got one on the day of the shoot.  Not only that, but brilliant sunsets often lead to lots of people wanting to view it and the spot that I wanted him to have his car positioned could have been blocked off by other cars.  It so happens that when we arrived, the spot was open and accessible and not inundated with people.  Score!  As my husband likes to remind me, when you research and plan thoroughly and are truly prepared, more often than not, things will fall into place.  With this shoot he was right!

In Ty's own words:

Did you ever make that one decision that you wondered….what if I had made a different decision?  At 22 years of age I decided to teach fifth grade at St Francis Catholic school in rural New Mexico at the Jicarilla Apache Nation instead of moving to Los Angeles.  That experience was amazing, but how would my life have turned out had I moved to LA?

Now this is not about regret.  Following that experience, I taught for four glorious years at Notre Dame in Elmira, NY.  I eventually made my way to the beautiful lakeside community of Webster, NY in 1990. My 28 years here in Webster as a high school counselor have been truly a blessing.  What better vocation is there than helping people see their gifts and realize their goals? I have come to love this community and many here are like family to me.

Experiencing life in southern California, though, never left my mind.  So I must answer that call. In July, I pack up all my belongings in my Mustang and start my adventure.  I’m going to enjoy the sights on a leisurely drive across country.  Eventually, I’ll end up in Los Angeles where I’ll try and break into the entertainment industry either as an actor or the guy that makes the coffee run. Either way, I’ll also be playing beach volleyball at Manhattan Beach, lifting with Arnold at Gold’s gym in Venice Beach, or soaking up the sun as it snows back home.  

It’s a journey I must take and so I will.

Ty Lambert

School Counselor

Webster Schroeder High School

Ty made it to California and is doing exactly what he had planned, and then some, auditioning for shows, getting bit parts on a few network programs and living the Cali life!   Way to go Ty!!!

Thanks for reading and viewing Ty's story.  Make sure to leave us some love and if you're interested in finding out more about We All Have a Story, check out my other posts.