Dear Blog,
Forgive me for my absence, Blogger was giving me a bit of technical difficulties.
In the meantime, I've been quite busy.
This weekend, I went on a photo daytrip with two of my favorite photographers. Also, I just wrapped up a shorter long-term project on a family staying at the Ronald McDonald House.
I finally kicked myself into gear and decided to stop waiting for the huge, stop-me-in-my-tracks-change-the-world stories and to focus on the many ideas that turn into lists that I never allow to photographically materialize.
so no more waiting.
and I'm glad.
First, I started with a story I'd looked into last winter and then shoved to the backburner and forgot about. Although it's no giant, hard-hitting story, for the first time I felt like I had complete invisibility with my subjects and their story.
I left one night thinking, wow, so this is what it feels like to really be let into a stranger's life.
Sure, I've had peeks of that at dailies and have been dumbfounded by the openness of strangers, but this story felt different. It was less about rawness, and more about comfort and trust. I witnessed more of the daily ho-hums of life without an awareness of me. and my intrusive camera.
It felt brilliant. The trust and understanding.
(and y'know, even if that isn't conveyed in my images, I know it will serve me well.)

I won't post that whole story until it runs in the paper, so hold tight.

But here's a peek -- into the lives of the Hodapps, who stayed more than 60 days in the Ronald McDonald House, a home away from home.
This is Dimitri and his dad Chris before bedtime. Dimitri suffered respiratory failure in the first months of his life and has had to undergo many hospitalizations. His family is young and strong and loving and I felt so honored to take a quick peek into their lives...


And wish me luck, I'm starting a new project tomorrow that should be a heart warmer, which may just be a nice change of pace...