August Assignment Portraits of Strangers

[F, Calla & Luca]

We are going to be seeing and critiquing oodles of doodles in the Calendar Discussion. So here's some- thing different, which may result in fewer responses, not a bad thing considering we have so many ongoing discussions and now the calendar. Camilla suggested it and I like the idea. Let's go out and take some portraits of people out and about. Richard Crowe always does a great job of this.

[Sheila & Finnley]

Small world.... LOVE them Marnie !!  Got to meet them when they were here recently, at our city's summer Mayor's Cup event. There are perks to being best friends with the mayor's wife !! LOL

[Marnie, Stanlee's Mom]

Niiiiice!

[DJ & Chance]

What fun!  I love the expressions on the faces of the people in the third photo.

[F, Calla & Luca]

These are great. Particularly the young couple.

[Sheila & Finnley]

Since this is an assignment about photographing strangers, I will submit this photo of my parents. Now you are thinking that they certainly are far from strangers to me, but they are indeed. My dad just turned 85. He now has to live in a nursing facility, he has dementia and has great difficulty with life's everyday tasks. He often mistakes me for my mother when I visit. My mom just turned 82, and she has Parkinson's disease. It has given her neck dystonia and she can't pick her head up anymore. She is also suffering from dementia as well brought on from the Parkinson's.

So yes, these people whom I love and cherish, are suddenly complete strangers to me. However, they take a pretty decent picture still ! :)

 

 

[DJ & Chance]

What a sweet photo, and such a difficult stage of life for you and them.  They do seem to remember each other!

[Sheila & Finnley]

They do remember each other DJ. My dad just lights up when I bring my mother to see him. He just wants to sit with her and hold her hand. It is really sweet to see !

[Elizabeth, Bailey & Bruin]

What a sweet picture of your parents.  Hugs to you!

[Marnie, Stanlee's Mom]

Your parents are lovely! 

[Sheila & Finnley]

Thanks Elizabeth and Marnie. They are a very sweet couple... a real love story when you see them together.

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Sheila, what a lovely picture of your parents!   Sometimes I take 3-4 musicians to nursing homes to play a chamber concert as part of our community outreach. The first time, there was a very frail elderly gentleman, who seemed a bit confused, pushing his wife in a wheelchair who was so tiny and frail she was translucent, and in the throes of dementia.  We got them both seated and as the music began, he reached out a hand to her and with great difficulty, she reached out to him and they sat for the entire time holding hands.  It convinced me that when you least expect it, love runs deep.  ((hugs)) to you and your parents.   

[F, Calla & Luca]

This is a lovely portrait. It is so sad when the parent you love goes away and becomes someone else. I try to remember my mom before she went through all that. But even at her worst sometimes glimmers of her old self shined through.