“In this accomplished and moving series of images, photographer Michelle Eabry has captured young boys at a summer camp in Maine where she was both photography teacher and counsellor. In reaction to the relentless activity of camp, Eabry was drawn to depict the boys in moments of solitude and reflection. In a sort of silent collaboration, the boys accepted Eabry’s photographic presence allowing her to witness and record chosen moments. The resulting body of work powerfully evokes the emotional highs and lows of childhood”. Stills Gallery
Welcome to Nymagee: population 36.
I travelled to the once-thriving mining town, 650km north – west of Sydney. I aimed to make a portrait of each person living there and in in turn, give the town a face.
Eddie Ryan lives in the same town as me.
I had watched him for 13 years walking to and from his home in Mullumbimby. We share some of the same friends. But I had never spoken to him. Never said hi.
Finally I asked my friend to introduce me to Eddie and I was able to explain to him how I wanted to create a series of pictures of him.
He agreed to participate right away and, just like that, I started to get to know Eddie.
He described how he gets around, his challenges, his triumphs. He told me about his early life when he and his sisters were raised in an orphanage. How he never knew his parents.
He described to me the accident that almost killed him and ended up leaving him blind.
He told me about the months and months of rehabilitation. He spoke of the challenges that he faced when he became a university student, a blind university student in a world that wasn’t ready to see past his blindness. He showed me the two degrees that he earned.
He told me about traveling all over New Zealand, hitchhiking with his guide dog. And I watched a documentary that was made about him at that time.
I watched as he strung a set of bells to a thin pole, then climb up a ladder to mount it off his roof, so he can hear their chime when the wind moves through. We listened to the birds together. And he imitated the frog sounds that he hears at night. He played the accordion and harmonica for me.
I watched him going about his day, doing his house work, answering his emails, caring for his dogs and making his music and I got to know Eddie just the tiniest bit.
Rockaway is a beachside community, the last stop on the A Train in Queens NY. These were brief encounters with some of the people I met as I walked the street. Sometimes we would talk for a few minutes and other times we would part ways after the short, silent collaboration.
