Remeber Me This Way: The Presence of Absence

“Remember Me This Way,” pairs ethereal portraits alongside personal writing from my subjects inspired by the Japanese custom of Jisei (death poems). The presence of absence is an intense subject, but I approach it from a place of curiosity, even humor. Mortality is a road we all travel together; the very awareness of this and the legacy we hope to leave behind is something the wise consider.

Using slow shutter or multiple exposure, photographs are purposely out of focus to suggest the presence of absence and are accompanied by a handwritten summary on what each woman finds important. 

 While much of my photographic and written work examines age, mortality and memory, my tone is one of celebration and reflection.  

 We don’t typically imagine the world without our presence and doing so is an emotionally intense undertaking. Accepting our mortality and living to make our memory a blessing takes courage. I am grateful for the voices of these brave participants.

I am in the process of compiling the complete collection into a book.