Not My Family: In Progress

“Not My Family” was a seed that was planted in my brain during a table discussion with good friends. An idea and a need to write a book that captured the essence and rawness of what it is like to be a photographer invited into the world of families who are not mine and yet, they are. At the time the idea was conceived, I had experienced it all. Life. Death. The In-Between.

When you enter a space to photograph an event whether it’s a birth, a celebration of life, you must enter this space with compassion. Compassion for the human experience, compassion for the subject and compassion for vulnerability. Photography requires the individual being photographed to let their guard down. In order to do such, you as the photographer must also be comfortable with being vulnerable and letting your guard down. Exposing yourself in ways you never thought possible.

The kind of photography I practice requires this as a bid for connection. To connect with the subject to accurately depict and tell their stories whether it be a single image or a series of images. And now, it’s time to shed light on the experiences that helped shaped me not just as a photographer but as a person. To share the many stories via poetry and prose I’ve accumulated and lay witness to the meaning of life and the beautiful thing we call the human experience.