Holding On

“Holding On” is a mini-series of photographs based on the concept of my younger sister, Emily, holding onto her childhood and not wanting to let go. As I was working on this mini-series, I realized it was about me holding onto her childhood just as much as she was. I am seven and a half years older than Emily, and I have been taking portraits of her since I was seven and a half years old. She grew up in the passion of my hobby and her life is tangibly documented because of it. Sometimes, as she gets older, I fail to remember she’s not the little kid I once photographed anymore, though I continue to document her leaving that past into whatever unknown future, whether scary or not. These photographs were taken with a Hasselblad 501C and developed and printed by myself in a darkroom.