Images to remember and imagine

[robinj]

Hi there. My daughter died of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia in 2007 just 19 weeks old. I have just started the second year of a Photography A Level at college because photography is my main interest. The whole year is based on a project which has to be something personal so I want to do my piece about my daughter.

I want to celebrate her life and her and our friends and I certainly don't want to be morbid so I am looking for any ideas from people on here about what sort of images come to mind when you think about yourselves, your children or parents.

Any comments will be welcomed and thanks for reading this post.

robinj

Hello Robin.

I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your little girl.

I lost my big girl to Acute Lymphblastic Luekemia in April 2006. She was 14.

When I think of my girl I think of her smile. I think of her long limbs and her wild hair. I think of the spot on her neck, below he ear that I used to kiss. I think of her sardonic wit (difficult to photograph I know!).

Unfortunately I am still so close to her illness and death that I tend to remember things like her many pairs of pink pajamas and joggers, bandanas and all her books and cds. These are things that were important to her in hospital.

Most of all I think of butterflies.

Shortly before she died she was lying on her couch. She was reaching out with her beautiful hands and grabbing the air. I asked her what she was doing. She said 'I am catching the butterflies'. She became unconscious a shortly afterwards and died not long after that.

She left me with the gift of a beautiful image which will always help me.

I am being very honest here, I mostly think of her. I love my boys very very very much but when I have the chance to be still my thoughts always return to her.

Good luck with your project. I it turns into what you want it to be.

I haven't ever lost a child (for which I am unashamedly and forever grateful for)

But, I lost my grandad, who I adored.

I remember him looking at the bend in the river in the town he used to live in. It signifies, in some way, the passing of time... How things change but somehow forever stay the same...

The river I'm thinking of is quite striking, and, while it's forever changing, it is always identifiable.

Hope that is of some use.

Hi everyone and thanks for taking the time to read my question and reply to it. I thought the website would tell me if someone posted but it doesn't which is why I hadn't checked for a week.

I like the thoughts from everlong about seemingly arbitrary things like wind and robins. I think of Asda for Laura because that was the first time we took her out together ! I tend to think more of the childrens hospital though but there are images from there that can be happy although it is hard work sometimes.

Forever changing but identifiable is another one I like; I have a bench for Laura in a public park with her name on and I go there usually once a month and one of the themes in my photography is how it looks through the seasons.

We have a wind chime with dragonflies - not butterflies - that used to live in a cherry tree that is now gone but we hang it outside and whenever we hear it tingle we say that it is Laura laughing.

Thanks again

xx

Hi robinj, Am so sorry for your loss.

My son died very suddenly in March this year - He was 2 years old and had a beautiful head of blond hair, the darkest most expressive brown eyes that lit up his face, an amazing zest for life and a zany crazy sense of fun.

My grief is still very very raw but things that remind me of him are Daffodils and Sunflowers. Their yellow heads bobbing in the wind always make me think of him. I also think of him singing twinkle twinkle little star and mamma mia! And a lovely clear sky filled with bright stars also make me think him.

Good luck with your project. x