International Center of Photography: Through the Light of Hope

It was a distinct honor to be the keynote presenter at the International Center of Photography in NYC on April 29, 2025, along with some very distinguished colleagues, in a day-long symposium titled “Through the Light of Hope”.

At ICP, I shared my personal story of trauma and recovery as documented in my photo essay, “Shooting”. As a child, my mother introduced me to photography. When I was only 9 years old, an intruder entered our home and shot my mother to death. He also critically wounded my father, who barely survived. The shooting was incredibly traumatic and because of that, I essentially turned away from photography for 40 years. At age 49, a mental health counselor suggested I pick up a camera again. I did, and to my amazement, my camera became part of my recovery from over 40 years of PTSD. “Shooting” took on a new meaning. The shooting of a gun had so long been associated with death and darkness. During the following 20 years, the shooting of a camera began to re-wire the neural pathways in my brain, and changed who I was. The shooting of a camera became associated with life and light.