PROJECT: A school assignment undertaken by a student or group of students, typically as a long-term task that requires independent research.
It becomes more apparent each week how much I needed this photography project. In five weeks I have seen and felt a tremendous amount of growth in both skill and in courage. I feel a connection to my work again. What started as 52 weeks of photographing at the grocery store has quickly morphed into themes of exploring different locations and examining everyday life. The grocery store would have been a challenge for sure, but I think I would have quickly become bored with it and quit the whole project. Being open to change is essential to growth.
Encouraged by the success I had last week with getting my daughter to pose for one of my photos, I bribed her with lunch out and asked her if she would be willing to be my model again. She agreed.
My proposed theme for this week was books, so my idea was to go to the library and have her look at books while I photographed her. As I looked at the photo review on the back of my camera, I could see my idea was falling flat. There was no connection between her and the books, even though she loves to read.
Frustrated, but unwilling to give up, we wandered to the other side of the library where the light was better. There we encountered these old card catalog trays. Now, instead of holding information on books, they hold newspaper clippings of obituaries. Forgetting about my camera for a moment, I began to look for my grandparents' cards.
My daughter, a history major, quickly joined in the search. She never met any of her great-grandparents on my side, they had all passed away before she was born, so she was just as curious as I was about the information the cards held.
Credits:
copyright 2016 Sarah Huizenga