jackson & joe ~delta session
I've been photographing Joe for about a year now and for this last session his mom Katie wanted to add older brother Jackson into the mix. One of my favorite things about Katie, besides her paintings, is that she really likes to do different things with her sessions. So for this one, we headed out of town, down a gravel road, and past the bayou until we finally stopped at Po Monkey's Lounge.
I'm sure most of you readers that are from the Delta know exactly where and what I'm talking about. Many of you have probably even been there. For those of you that aren't familiar with the area, Po Monkey's is one of our wonderful, out of the way jewels. An old sharecropper's home that has been converted into a small blues joint with a very random schedule. Rarely are events widely publicized, and often you have to just ride out there to see if anyone is playing. But that's OK, because the place probably only holds about 50 people anyway. Here's a cool little article the New York Times did about a year ago.
So these images were created there, as well as right next door beside another old sharecropper house that has been abandoned. I love these parts of the area where I was raised. Sessions like this remind me quite a bit of growing up in the Delta, and whenever I photograph brothers, it always makes me think of my little brother. We quickly grow out of these overalls and start putting on suits and ties. And sometimes it's just nice to reminisce about the days when we all ran around barefoot, played with sticks and rocks, and jumped fearlessly into muddy puddles of water.
Katie, thank you so much for letting me remember some of my own days with my brother. It's been a fun year. I hope you enjoy these images as much as I did making them.
~wj

Labels: children, Delta, Mississippi, music, portrait
5 Comments:
Oh my, they are adorable aren't they. Such great images. I especially love the ones in the tall grass!
Gorgeous images for gorgeous kiddos! Mom must be so happy.
Cheers,
Jaci
God Will you blow me away!!!
I really don't know what to say.
I usually don't look through children's images that often, but I went through these twice.
Love them!
Are you using a lens baby?
Great work!
thank you sarah and jaci, you are both very kind. thank you for taking the time to visit.
sarah, yes, many of these images were created with the lensbaby. i find myself using that tool more and more lately as i really am drawn to the mood it produces. at least for now anyway. we'll see where i am this time next year :)
Wow! Beautiful pics of beautiful children!
These are so sweet and special. I looked at them more than once, too. I love your captions - your photos certainly tell a story, but I enjoy reading your words, too. And speaking of words, I love how connected you are to your surroundings and the area where you life. I've moved all over the place my whole life and haven't ever really felt rooted anywhere. You inspire me to get to know my area better!
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