A day in the life of: portrait series
Memories of my Aunt and Uncle at their home in North Wales
My Uncle Graham had ALS ( Motor Neurone Disease ) having already lost the use of one arm was having trouble walking and eating. My Aunt Rosemary had vascular dementia and her speech and movements were painfully slow. Despite this were many smiles and tender moments that made this a happy house. They were well taken care of and their house was a real home, filled with treasured keepsakes and memories from their lives together.
These photographs were taken one day before their 60 wedding anniversary. I had an overwhelming sense that I needed to capture a slice of their lives while I could. We all know but often forget in our busy lives that today is precious and tomorrow is not guaranteed. I noticed the tender moments they shared holding hands, smiling. My aunt who couldn’t move well at all, but determined to brush their sweet little dog, every brush stoke was gentle and slow, and with so much love. The treasured antiques they had collected for decades, Rosemary’s paintings and so many personal touches that make a house into a home. Everything had a story to tell… I began capturing vignettes of their life before time took it all away. These photographs are all that is left. They have both since passed away, the house sold and who knows what happened to the sentimental things they held dear.
A few years after these photographs were taken I decided to enter them as a series into the International Photography Awards. I’m so proud to have received this Honorable Mention from the IPA.
If you would like to commission a “day in the life of” portrait series of someone in your life please get in touch.
