Inspired by Childhood

When I was a child there were only two places I wanted to be, the pool or the beach. I have always been called a water baby, or it has been said that I was an aquatic animal in my past lifetime. Whatever the case may be, I have always enjoyed being in the water.

My fondest memories come from being at my Grandma Julie's apartments. See, my Grandma always managed apartments, and those apartments always had a pool. The pool was my main destination on a daily basis no matter what time of the year it may have been when spending time with my Grandma. When you live in Los Angeles California, you can pretty much swim anytime of the year, it never really gets that cold. My Grandma, though she couldn't swim would always take me to the pool. I would jump into the water with no hesitation never knowing how cold it may be. The commotion of everyday life was silenced by the water, and pockets of air racing to the top and become a part of the air we breath. My eyes opened though I knew I would suffer for that after an hour or so, but as a kid I didn't care, the only thing that mattered at the time was me in the water with the feeling of freedom. My imagination would run wild swimming around like a dolphin, but without the grace, and effortlessness. Coming up for water, only because my heart is racing a mile a minute, due to lack of oxygen, and I had to in order to continue live and swim. It was the sense of being weightless, and cutting my way through the water back to civilization, and hearing the words of my Grandma "Mikey be careful, don't make Grandma have to come in the water, and get you, you know I can't swim!" I miss those words.

I haven't heard that phrase from my Grandma in over 15 years. Unfortunately she passed away July 25, 2012. Though I never told her, my Underwater Series is inspired by my childhood experiences in her pool, being able to be free, and whatever I wanted to be while in the water.

 The models I have had the opportunity to photograph, have been directed to be free, and let their inner child come out. The only rules for the shoot are not to open your eyes, and just have fun! I would hand them a large 4' x 12' piece of fabric, and say let this fabric become a part of you. Don't be afraid to dance in the water with it, and enjoy yourself. In the beginning the models would struggle as if they never swam a day in their life, forgetting to hold their breath, and keep their eyes closed. To comfort the models, and ensure that everything was okay, I would tell them stories about my childhood memories in my Grandma's pool. They would giggle a bit, smile, and it felt as if my Grandma was listening to me repeat the same words to the models as she would to me, "Don't make me have to rescue you while we are in the water." After all was said and done, the models would start to swim effortlessly with the fabric slicing through the water as if it was a part of their body. Toes would be pointed, fingers would gently cling to the fabric with a dainty feeling, and their facial expression, soft, and carefree. The models would seem ethereal for that 15-30 seconds of sheer bliss. Every model brought something new to the water, at times making me forget that I should be capturing moments in time as I admire their grace, and beauty while in the water.

The pool season is over in eight days to be exact. My Underwater Series will be put on hold for the next nine months. This project was inspired by my childhood, and the time with my Grandma who is physically no longer here, but always here with me in spirit. Taking inspiration from personal experience has allowed me to create what I feel is some of my best work to date. Those who view the series probably wont see the inspiration from time spent with my Grandma. The great thing about this project for me is that every time I visit this series, the memories of the most important person of the first 20+ years of my life will come to mind. A smile will appear, a chuckle or two will be heard, and knowing me, I may shed a few tears of happiness for the one who inspired me to create my Underwater Series. Thank you Grandma for inspiring me to create!