The Only Dad On the Playground

Street photographs documenting public isolation; growth and parenthood; and impact of role-reversal as a stay-at-home dad. The title of the series is derived from physically being the only dad on the playground in our affluent MidWest suburb and as commentary on the role reversal of being a stay-at-home-dad. Modern fatherhood is still rooted in traditional connotations of what it means to be a dad, a provider, and the roles expected. This photo-documentation of the daily trips to the playground took place over the course of a year and started as a way to deal with the social exclusion from the cliques of moms present on the playground. The project revealed not only what modern fatherhood looks like but, also, that my social exclusion and loneliness was often mirrored with my daughter and her interactions.