www.danielgainescreative.com ..............................................................................................................................all images © daniel gaines PHOTOGRAPHY 2011

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Welcome to 52Photos, a year in images 2011. 52Photos started in January of 2010 as an effort to capture 2010, one week at a time, through the eye of a camera lens. I've enjoyed the process immensely, and have been thankful for all the amazing feedback I've gotten as a response to my images, stories, and thoughts throughout the year. I'll be continuing with the blog through 2011 with a slightly new look, but still providing 52 images and some thoughts to go along with them. Technical to abstract, social commentary and just plain fun, you'll find a mix of topics, variety of images, and hopefully, something you will enjoy following along. I've had a number of people ask "where can I buy a print??". The answer is an easy one... select images are available by clicking here. Of course you can just send me a message too, I'd love to hear from ya!

-daniel gaines

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Gingerbread Man

Week 51


Gingerbread Man
December 22, 2010

Half-eaten, you can still see the care that was taken in creating this festive gingerbread man I've decided to call Ralph. I met Ralph last week as I was shooting the Christmas parties at two group homes of a Bay Area recovery program, Advent Group Ministries. Ralph initially had bite-marks where his ears belonged, and by the end of the party, had been eaten along the edges, just a chomp away from becoming Ralph the ginger-bread torso.

I can imagine that some of the kids at these homes feel the same way that Ralph does. Created with care and beauty, a one of a kind, each one of them; life had bit and nibbled away at the edges to the point where they didn't feel whole, and needed to escape their reality.

It was an honor to be able to photograph the celebrations; to watch and capture the surprise and laughter as they opened an abundance of gifts, donated by local businesses and philanthropists to bless these kids, many of whom have rarely if ever known a "normal" Christmas experience.

I don't know every kid's story, and don't pretend to be able to understand the complexity of their lives up to now, nor the paths that lay ahead of them. I do know that there is a big difference between Ralph and each one of these kids. Ralph will never be whole again. These kids have a chance to rebuild and work through the troubles they've encountered and the decisions they've made, and emerge not only healed and whole, but with a chance to build amazing lives and make choices toward that end.

One of the more beautiful things that I was privileged to see this Christmas season, the staff and leaders of this program have humbly dedicated their lives to picking up, dusting off and firmly but lovingly setting these kids on a path to sobriety and wholeness. Truly, noble calling.



image taken with Canon 5DMII, 24-105 4L lens, 1/30sec @f4, ISO 800

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1 comment:

  1. Geoffrey GilbertDecember 30, 2010 at 8:40 PM

    Interesting photo. Love the eyes and the sprinkles. Beautifully written thoughts on a subject that I rarely think about. Congrats to you for for giving props to those who are so deserving.

    ReplyDelete

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