Storytelling with DETAILS

February's Photo assignment:

It's time for another monthly photo assignments given by MeRa Koh. This months assignment was allot of fun, because I absolutely love DETAILS! I was to pick two different people. One would be young , the other old. The goal of this assignment was to walk into doing a photo shoot, aiming to capture several types of photos. One type is DETAILS. Before walking out, it would be my aim to know that I had captured the story of their life! It's in the DETAILS where a person's story is told. The different age groups will serve as a great platform for comparisons and contrast as I ask myself and my young and older subjects a series of questions along the way.

Part One: Here's my Young Luke!

Luke's Details: Here are his feet along side his big sisters; His new wooden truck that he got for valentines day; a well loved bear that's always near by; his beloved blue blanket upon which his treasured b-b collection is displayed; and the Lightning Cars pillow on which he dreams. This is the Story of Luke through images!

I thought there would be no need to interview my 4 year old boy as to his likes and dislikes. I'm his mamma, I know what he likes? Right...well I decided to go ahead and let him in on what I was trying to do. I explained that I wanted to take pictures that told the story of "Luke", about who he is, about what he loves. He was so excited and before I knew it he was literally pulling all his favorite things into a big pile. Let's just say it got messy real fast and mamma helped him narrow it down. It was a joy to discover the things in his life that he truly loves and appreciates.

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Part Two: My Older Neighbor Dorothy!

I must admit that it was far easier to approach my son with this creative endeavor of capturing details. I know him, I live with him, he is familiar to me. The second part of this assignment (capturing details of someone older) seamed far more daunting. I do not live near my parents, nor are any of my grandparents still living. I could have taken pictures of my husband, but truth be told he is younger than I. I was dragging my feet and the introvert in me had yet to be bold enough to ask someone. So in the mean time my darling 8 year old daughter was out playing in our neighborhood. Makayla comes in and says, " Hey mom - Dorothy, wants you to come over and have coffee with her tomorrow! Oh and I told her you where free, cause both Luke and I are at school!" Gotta love a daughter who takes it upon herself to set up her mothers social calender! Makayla knew nothing of the project I was working on, mind you.

Makayla and Dorothy have had the the sweetest relationship ever since Dorthy moved into our neighborhood about a year ago. The two of them just clicked. Makayla has gone to visit Dorothy on numerous occasions and often brings her little brother, Luke in tow. Every time she comes home after a visit she would say, "Mommy, I think Dorothy is lonely." Ugh- Pulling at my heart strings, I have waved, smiled, had short conversations of small talk at the mail box and have prayed for Dorothy. Well-Absolutely nothing can compare to spending time with someone face to face and eye to eye over a cup of coffee! I arrived at Dorothy's about 8:45 am and stayed till almost 11:00. In the back of my mind I thought maybe, just maybe, Dorothy would be up for me taking some detail pictures of her life, so I popped my camera in my purse. Let's just say she was more than gracious.

Before I had even mentioned my little photography project, Dorothy was busy telling me all about herself, her life, her travels and her late husband whom she dearly missed. She gave me a tour of her home and showed me all kinds of amazing pieces of art that she has collected over the years. I was floored at how much of herself she was offering...she was without a doubt sharing the details of her life with me. Ahhh- What a perfect sag-way... This was exactly what my assignment was about! Dorothy was gracious to let me tell a slice of her story through image. It was eye opening to see that it's sometimes in the every day things that often hold the most significance in our lives.

Dorothy's Details: An Indian beaded pen was one of many treasured art pieces she has. Her husband was Indian and they had spent much of their 48 years of marriage working on reservations, before he died just a year and a half ago. We sat at her dinning room table with coffee in hand, a bowl of treats and sugar near by. We visited and got to know one another. The pink and white quilt is an Indian Star quilt made from a friend on one of the reservations. The picture behind Dorothy is one of her many Bev Doo Little prints that add such warmth and intrigue to her home. She shared albums of when she was young and without a doubt I could see the loneliness in her stunning blue eyes.

I am already looking forward to my next coffee date with sweet Dorothy!