An Unexpected Surprise!
So this email rolled into my inbox last night from the Documentary Family Awards. At first, upon seeing “Test First Name” I thought there was some system glitch, and I didn’t really believe it was for me. I almost didn’t look any closer.
You see, I had entered, back in October, in the last 24 hours in a complete whim not expecting to even get past any of the preliminary judging stages. There are sooooo many talented documentary photographers from all over the world who enter and who I always hope to be when I grow up. I entered to push myself out of my comfort zone and put my work out there a little more.
In the end, I decided it couldn’t hurt to look, and lo and behold, there was my name mentioned along with the other finalists in the photo series category! It is humbling to think that some of the best(with work I swoon over) in the genre felt that my series was worth even getting that far, but it was also a really personal project grappling with the not so shiny, happy parts of life that I submitted so that makes it even more special to me.
I am going to share my series with you and the blurb that I wrote to go along with it. If you find the death and loss of a pet too upsetting, then now might be a good time to stop reading. <3
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This Is Where We Part, My Friend
“My best friend, and beloved dog, kaia, died very suddenly just 48 hours after a tutor was found in her heart. She shared our life for 10 years from our wedding through all our babies’ arrivals, and she was the best confidante one could ask for. I chose to document the beginnings of shocked grief that rocked our entire family right down to our remaining dog in the initial hours after she left us. She was so much more that “just a dog”, and months down the line we still live with the empty void that her passing has left behind. Life isn’t just the well polished moneys; it can be down right gritty. But we need both to shape us, and I believe we need to document both. Even here, I see the beauty in the midst of the sadness.”
