“I Was Just Like You” is a personal documentation project of maternal figures in my own family. The project began as an exploration into the idea and experiences of motherhood, documenting and interviewing three generations of mothers in their own homes. The relationship between a mother and her daughter is one of the most complicated and beautiful connections between two people. The subjects in my work were asked to reflect on their past relationships with the maternal figures in their lives and describe how it has affected them and influenced their own decisions and the path they took in life. This is heavily reflected in the textual element of the work while being more subtle in the expressions and poses of the subjects in the photographs. A deeper story is created that illuminates the connections between each subject, though it may not be so apparent to them. Color is used to create a bright and warm atmosphere in the portraits in my work, as well as to symbolize important themes of nature, love, and freedom. The relationship between humanity and nature has parallels to the relationship between mother and daughter. The nurturing spirit of a mother is reflected in the inclusion of nature.

This work was inspired by my desire to learn more about my family history and I am expanding on this work currently. This series has allowed me to examine the past history of relationships in my life and better understand the deep ties and effect a maternal relationship has on a growing child, as well as an adult child. All photographs were taken on a digital DSLR camera with natural light, and are displayed as inkjet prints on premium luster paper.