Love Who You Love is a phrase that I live by and that I hear a lot in conversation with friends. I chose this particular image to match the theme of resilience. It depicts friends of mine, Krista and Helen, on their wedding day. Two years after Krista had come through the worst of her battle against cancer, she met Helen through the Kansas City Lesbians Facebook Discussion Group where they shared their love for motorcycles. I was asked to photograph their wedding 2 years after they met. This image is a reminder that all that matters is that you love who you love and to not let society dictate it to you.
You know that story about the starfish? Where it matters to at least one being thrown back into the sea. I found that my image and work can make an impact on others’ lives through validation of feeling, or realization about the world we live in. To be able to move someone with such emotion is what impacts my life and work. It shows me that I am on the right path with my work. Even though I could not gauge the quantity of interactions or for how many people the work impacted, I did receive one quality discussion of a woman who was so moved by my piece that she sought me out to express her gratitude but also to tell me her story through burgeoning tears. The strength of the emotion of this conversation will stay with me as I create, because I would like to make work that matters to more “starfish”.