“My work is ultimately about emotion. It is about capturing a moment or a memory.”—Deborah Parkin
The photographer and mother, Deborah Parkin, tell us that “September is the Cruellest Month.” This is also the title of her latest series, forthcoming monograph, and new show opening next week in England at the beautiful “Theatre by the Lake” in Keswick, Cumbria.
I discovered Parkin’s portfolio recently through Aline Smithson’s excellent photo blog Lenscratch. I immediately sensed the power of the work. Parkin’s portraits are deep, poetic and emotional—and all the more so when you understand that these historically processed, large format images are of her own children.
Parenting itself is an unbelievable emotional journey. Along the way, Parkin is documenting her own experience and trying to capture those fleeting moments that always pass too quickly. As the kids go back to school, and the summer slows to an end, maybe Parkin is right: September is the cruelest month. —Lane Nevares
