We stood in utter darkness. I was 12 years old, 100 feet underground, in the long, winding passages of Mammoth Cave. The park service guide gathered us in one of the large rooms. He spoke of geology and history. He told us about preservation and heritage. Then he introduced me to the idea of light pollution. He explained that because of stray light in our … Continue reading My New Year’s Wish
These gloves were new, not long ago. When I am not shooting assignment photography or traveling with A Peace of My Mind’s exhibits, my family grows Christmas trees. We started planting ten years ago and we knew nothing about being tree farmers. Now we know just slightly more than that. Last week we finished our first big harvest and now my gloves look like this. … Continue reading It’s hard work
Jimmy Ta moved from Vietnam to the United States with his mother and siblings when he was in elementary school, but his father was unable to join them for another year. Jimmy struggled with the language, the culture, and with a lack of self-confidence. When a teacher invited him to join a mentoring program called Youth Ambassadors, Jimmy learned that everyone has struggles of some … Continue reading Jimmy Ta
Last month I spent time at The Miami Valley School in Dayton, Ohio. They hosted our American Stories exhibit, I led school assemblies, visited classrooms, and we set up a studio in their greenhouse to ask the student body to reflect on what makes us human. It’s a complicated question…but one that drew thoughtful replies with an interesting range of perspectives in their pre-k through … Continue reading What makes us human?
