Kerraldine : A personal project on mental health.
A collaboration between myself and Kerry, which evolved from conversations during 2013 about depression... an illness that we both suffer from. The final images are the result of 2 shoots in February 2014. The first shoot was a very emotional evening, spent with Kerry, as she forced herself to face her fears and emotions while i stood by as documentary photographer. This resulted in over a thousand portrait images, 100 of which can be seen below. In total 100 images were chosen, mostly converted to black and white, and printed as A4 posters to use in the main studio shoot as a backdrop (and emotional trigger) for the main event shoot. During the second shoot Kerry used her skills as a dancer to beautifuly express her feelings about the printed images, the depression which triggered this project and the underlying life events that have lead to this point.
"There's a story behind every person. There's a reason why they're the way they are. They aren't jusy like that because they want to. Something in the past created them, and sometimes it's impossible to fix them. I'd like to tell you that things will get better tomorrow. But i've been through so many tomorrows and nothing has changed." - Kerraldine
"I think hell is something you carry around with you not somewhere you go."
- Neil Gaiman
"Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in the casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become inbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable." - C.S. Lewis.