I made these shots of dad last night, another high contrast looking image that I am not sure I could duplicate in the darkroom, this might have to be printed digitally. I am considering doing something like this for the earlier "Lost Innocence" blog portraits, tight, high contrast, emotional prints.
Dad does not look as harsh as these photos show, the harsh blunt look is my manipulation through the ring flash and the high contrast. This is my interpretation of what my poor father is going through right now, a strong independent man suffering from cancer who is losing his strength and independence. He has seen the images and thou he does not like the way he looks now, he supports the taking of these photographs and continues to allow me to make new pictures and post them. Maybe someday I can do a show devoted to dad with this work in his memory or even better yet show of a variety of pics I made during our time together from when he is younger until the end. A history of my father as seen through the eyes of his son who loves him.
The good thing about all of this is that dad retains his sense of humour and his love of his children. Today he told me," I had a dream today that you bought a house in Thailand and had chickens and ducks, then you took a picture of the ducks and chickens and brought them to show me at my grave." Dad always loved the farm life, he grew up on a farm and always dreamed of living on a farm again as an older person, raising chickens, ducks, sheep etc. Now as he enters the last part of his life he has passed those dreams and wishes onto me.
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| Dad #1 May 14, 2014 Canada |
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| Dad #2 May 14, 2014 Canada |
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| Dad #3 May 14, 2014 Canada |
