Documentary Work

Mama: Two girls and their mother

On September 4, 2015, my mother called my sister and me and began to tearfully speak the words, “I have breast cancer.” My whole body went numb. I was eight years old when I lost my father to a heart attack. With the onset of my mother’s diagnoses came the flooding fears that I would be losing another parent and the memories of her would soon begin to fade.

This work creates a portrait of my mother, Lauraine Harding, capturing the moments of beauty and strength within a middle aged woman who has experienced loss, an empty nest, and chronic pain. The relationships she holds with her daughters are the foundation upon which she has continued to push forward despite the recent diagnosis of breast cancer.

In addition to the photographs, I chose to make a book in order to create a more intimate experience for the viewer. The book gives a deeper, more tangible look into the life of my mother and the relationships she holds with her daughters.