Mother’s Day is exceptionally special for me this year, with a 14-month-old daughter at home. Being a mom myself casts a new light on the holiday, not just with respect to my own daughter, but also to my mother. What was about breakfast in bed and homemade cards when I was a kid now has added depth and sentiment. So I’ve been really looking forward to this new series that’s launching on our site today: Over the next several weeks, leading up to Mother’s Day, we’ll be sharing images from photographer Claudette Carracedo’s The Mother-Daughter Project.
“As photographers, our style and vision create the look and feel of a portrait,” explains Claudette. “The Mother-Daughter Project was a way of exploring how much of our personal history and biases affect a session. The idea was to provide a unified look using a single lighting system and backdrop, as well as a allow the participants to describe their relationship to each other as I photographed them. Ultimately, the goal was to create an authentic image that speaks to the uniqueness of each mother-daughter relationship.”
From Claudette: Two years ago Gaile’s mother, Ebie, was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer’s at the age of 58. Last year Gaile, a talented designer, and her team built a Laneway home for IDSWest. The Laneway home was auctioned off with all proceeds going to the Alzheimer’s Society of BC.
From Claudette: I had the pleasure of photographing Adria’s wedding in 2010 and meeting her first child, Ayla, has been such a delight.
The subjects in Claudette’s photos include mothers and daughters who are current clients and collaborators; friends and family (among them, her own mother); and even classmates she hasn’t seen in over 20 years. I hope you’ll check back every Thursday between now and Mother’s Day for new installments highlighting The Mother-Daughter Project.