Documentary Media Portfolio

A recurring theme I wish to continue exploring: strong women, mothers and daughters, generations of women.

Women inherit and inhabit many roles, some of them universal, yet the freedoms they are allowed are vastly different from place to place. I have found evidence of this in their faces even when they try to mask it. Fear, sadness, and frustration where they are marginalized or oppressed. Joy, pride, and power where there is equality and respect.

Those who can emigrate do so for a better life, as my mother did. They work tirelessly to better their lives and the lives of others, often at great personal cost. I saw this in my mother’s life and on her face; the project I proposed is in honour of her.

The work below spans the globe and the past 20 years and is integral to the project I have proposed.

1. My mother at the nursing home, holding her breast, one of the many behaviors that came about later in her disease. Part of a series entitled Losing my Mother; a mother daughter journey through Dementia.

2. A self portrait with my mother on Mother's day, 2020. This would be the last we would spend together. Part of a series entitled The Final 38 Days.

3. My mother being repositioned to lessen the possibility of her bed sore worsening. Part of a series entitled The Final 38 Days.

Since restarting my business, I have worked mainly with women entrepreneurs, who like myself have left corporate positions to pursue their passions. Most of these women have built their businesses from the ground up. Below is a selection of images I have done for women to promote their businesses.

1. Karen Franzen, Potter, photographed as a personal project entitled Women Artisans

2. Nada Ashkar, Acupuncturist, photographed and video-graphed for client Dr. Farias for a Vimeo channel he created entitled Farias Technique, aiding others afflicted with Dystonia to self heal. https://dystoniarecoveryprogram.com/

3. Phaedra Kennedy of PK Performance Coaching, photographed for her social media posts.

While working full time, I took the time to take one big trip every two years. The images below are some portraits taken on these trips that are part of a series entitled Mothers at Work. Within this project is also another I have been working on called Generations, which includes women of 4 or more generations in one family.

1. Peru, Cusco; Old woman begging at one of the national monuments.

2. Peru, Lake Titicaca; Woman selling souvenirs.

3. Iran, Bakhtiari village; mother baking bread for the visitors.

4. Iran, Zahedan; Young woman posing for portraits to send to the man she loves.

5. Iran, Yazd; Portrait of a woman in a chador.