Bodega Bay, CA

When I think of home, I think of the beach- warm sand squishing beneath my bare feet, dogs splashing through the tides, seagulls everywhere, and kids building sand castle after sand castle for hours on end. If there was one thing I wish Ohio did have, it would be this. Although, it's kind of what makes going home that much more special.

The Start of Something Good

These past few weeks I've been dedicating most of my time to a story that I believe has enormous potential. Casey Callahan (31) and her two children, Lainie (13) and Sophia (5), are homeless. They once lived in Las Vegas, where Casey worked 12-hour shifts as a bartender on The Strip. As she describes it, they had it made. They used to be able to have $200 dinners at nice restaurants once or twice a week, and go home to their cozy town house every night. They were just three girls living the good life in the city of lights. Then Casey became addicted to methamphetamine and she lost everything. She lost her house, her belongings, and most importantly, she lost herself. She brought the girls to Sonoma County in California where her brother offered her a bartending gig at his bar in the town of Healdsburg. Shortly thereafter, the bar shut down, and in the blink of an eye Casey and her girls were evicted from their house and left to live on the streets. Luckily, Casey became sober and they were able to become part of a women's homeless shelter in Santa Rosa, California where they were given dinner and access to a kitchen, television, beds, and bathrooms.

For a situation that doesn't seem to have many positives, Casey has found plenty. She firmly believes that everything happens for a reason and that in order to move past certain situations, you must first embrace them. While most women in the shelter were getting ready for bed, Casey could be found whipping up a batch of Rice Krispy treats in the kitchen or chasing her girls around the house. I am so excited to work on this story because I have never met a family with more determination. I have no doubt they will find a way out of their situation. They have already taken the first step, recently finding a house in Healdsburg that they will be able to rent while it's being showcased for sale; meaning they may have it for as little as a few weeks or as long as a year. Regardless,  they are so thankful to finally restore some normalcy to their lives.

My goal is to document the stages of this family's life through photography and audio, starting with being homeless. Every time I come back to Sonoma County I will be excited to pick up where I've left off. I have no idea where this story is headed, but I am so excited to see where it's going to go.

Here are some photos from what I call Stage 1.

Lainie (13), Casey (31), and Sophia (5) stand outside The Rose, a homeless shelter where they ate dinner every night for the past three and a half months. 

Sophia and Casey stand in line for dinner at The Rose.

Sophia writes her name down on the shower list. Every night the women in the shelter are given access to take warm showers for a certain allotted period of time.

Sitting on the top bunk of a bed in the shelter, Sophia plays and talks with a doll to pass the time. Because most women in the shelter are older, Sophia doesn't have a group of girls her age to play or relate with.

Lainie drags Sophia out of bed when she refuses to brush her teeth. Lainie often takes care of Sophia when she knows her mom has her hands full, resulting in her being extremely mature for her age.

Sophia and Casey eat ice cream that Casey bought from G&G Market and snuck into the shelter after dinner.

Their few belongings lie on the bed as they prepare to move to their temporary home.

Casey and Lainie pose for a portrait taken on their friend's laptop. Pictures are very significant in Casey's life. When she looks at pictures of her past they remind her of where she's been, and give her incentive to not go back. "I was looking at pictures from when I totaled my car last year, and I just looked so pathetic. That was at the peak of my addiction. I never want to go back there."

Sophia jumps up and down in the Santa Rosa Junior College library as Lainie watches an episode of the O.C. On weekends, they spend 5-6 hours at a time on the computers in the library until the shelter opens for dinner. As a result, Sophia, having the energy of a typical five-year-old, often becomes extremely restless.

The girls make their way to school after getting off the bus. Because their shelter is in Santa Rosa and school is in Healdsburg, Casey has to spend ten dollars each day on transportation. Their new house in Healdsburg will be close enough to school that they will no longer have to rely on the bus to get them there.

Lainie talks with her grandpa, Casey's father, who owns the Rottin' Robbies gas station in Healdsburg. Casey explained that he once used to own a popular restaurant in downtown San Francisco. "My whole family has had our ups. When we were up, we were really up. But now we're down, and we're really down."

Sophia stares out the window on the bus home from school. Because she has to wake up at 5:30 AM to catch the bus for school, she is usually exhausted by the end of the day.

Casey and Sophia share a special moment together amidst a beautiful Santa Rosa sunset. 

Super Hero Sir Quinn

My pup Quinn was overly energetic today at Armstrong Woods. Every time I knelt down to take a photo he came charging, splashing mud everywhere. I thought this was a cool little sequence that definitely portrays his inner super hero.

No Place Like Home

After an exciting, inspiring, and intimidating first quarter at Ohio University, I am back in northern California for a few weeks before heading back to Athens until June. Coming back for this short period of time has made me realize how truly lucky I am to have grown up in such a unique and beautiful place.

Armstrong Woods, CA

Izzy

Thanksgiving in DC means getting to spend a whole entire week with the cutest baby in the world. 

Volleyball: Dig Pink and Senior Night

Here are some shots from this past weekend when I photographed the last two home games of the season. The first was Dig Pink night vs. Miami, where the team dressed in pink to raise awareness for Breast Cancer. The second night was Senior Night vs. Bowling Green, signifying the last home game for the seniors, and the end of my Ohio volleyball photos for the year.

I've really enjoyed shooting volleyball this quarter. I used to play volleyball competitively almost every day, so switching from a participant to an observer has been kind of fun. Being familiar with the sport has definitely helped my shooting. Thanks for looking!

      

        

  

        

Tornado Victims

Last Friday I spent some time with Karen Young and Greg Kinnard, two lovely people who happened to be very unlucky when a tornado swept through their recently renovated trailer in Nelsonville on September 16th. When Karen was released from the hospital five days after the storm, she found a small camper sitting in the spot where her trailer used to be. It was truly remarkable seeing how little these two are surviving off of.

A few of these photographs ran in something called "The Wish Book" that runs in our school newspaper. The hope is that the photos will touch the hearts of readers and get them to donate money to families going through tough times. This is my first attempted photo story, so I would love any and all feedback! Enjoy!

Karen Young stands in front of the camper she inhabited after her Nelsonville home was destroyed in the tornado on September 16, 2010.

"It's just too sad to think about," Karen said when trying to recall her experience with the tornado.

Karen howls back at her dog, Miss Katie, outside their camper in Nelsonville. Karen now has trouble finding joy in life, but Miss Katie has taught her to enjoy the small things. "It's a miracle she survived, but I'm sure glad she did," Karen said.

Karen looks over a photograph taken of her property right after disaster had struck. "I went to the bathroom, and when  I came back out the front door had blown off. Then the top of the trailer was gone. I don't remember anything after that." Looking at photographs of the wreck helps Karen remember what she missed after she blacked out. 

Karen and her partner Greg empty the trash from their camper. They both enjoy doing busy work around the property so as to keep their minds from thoughts of the tornado.

Lifting up her shirt, Karen reveals the many surgeries she's had over the years. "I've had my kidneys operated on and my stones crushed eight or nine times. I've been in a car wreck and now the tornado. I truly am a cat," Karen said, "I've got the full nine lives."  

Karen feels for the scar on her head where ten staples used to be. "One of our neighbors got a towel and put it over my head to stop the bleeding and asked if he could pray. No one thought I was going to survive."  

Karen leans on her partner Greg for support. They have been together for 18 years but can't get married because they'd lose their health benefits.

Halloween in Athens

As I had heard it described many times, Athens in Halloween was absolutely ridiculous. Over 30,000 people come into town for this event. Court Street turns into one big block party of people dressed (or undressed) in crazy costumes, and it's hard to even move. This year there were only around 125 arrests, which was an improvement from last year. In fact, many said this year was way less crazy than the years past, but I'm not sure about that. It seemed pretty crazy to me!

I was told it would be an absolutely terrible idea to bring your camera through this experience, but I did anyways and am glad I did. Here a few shots from the night!