A Woman named Joe

My Grandmother passed away yesterday morning at the age of 88.

While it is natural to feel sad about losing my grandmother, I can't help but feel joy for the long life that she lived. She was a pioneer — she earned her masters' degree in social work in the 1940s, in an era when most women didn't even attend college. She raised two sons who were both born on November 30 — one in 1948 and one in 1949. She had a career as a social worker, advocating for the disadvantaged, and was an active member of her church for nearly her whole life — up until just a few months ago.

In 2003, I began a video project documenting oral histories of our grandparents. I started with my father's parents, and didn't get much farther. A month ago, I had nearly forgotten about the project; today, I'm really glad I did it, and I feel lucky that I started with this grandmother.

I shot about 5 hours of interviews with them, and edited together this short segment to introduce my grandmother.

As wedding photographers we tell stories with pictures that build the foundation for our clients' family legacy. Although this is a different medium than I am used to working with, the effect is the same — a record of my grandmother that I can save for the rest of my life and show to my kids and grandkids.