As my son enters his teenage years, this ongoing project helps me process changes in our relationship as his sense of self and independence grows; shown through his relationships with his teachers at school, his friendship groups and influences he is exposed to through online platforms and the internet - which all are all separate from me.
This ongoing project is an exploration of the trust in our relationship as he grows - my trust in him that he will make the right decisions and choose a path true to himself, and his trust in me that I was always be there for him.
The below three photos were taken in the morning as he left for school, looking over his shoulder to say goodbye, to start his day with me wishing for him to come home safely at the end of it.
A lot of this project explores the impact of the internet and social media and the influences my son is exposed to. The internet is such a powerful tool that is so ingrained in our everyday lives - from how we receive our news, to how my son submits all his homework; everything is online. But there is a very dark side and not everything we see or hear must be taken as truth. Being plugged into the matrix and consistently accessible with alerts pinging all day is part of modern life and I am trying to teach him to handle it responsibly by questioning the sources of information, their agendas and what is being required from him.
