Photography is like a religion, but after my son was born, I had a dream that the house was on fire and I had to save my negatives or my son, so I saved my son. Being a dad is the thing I enjoy most in my life.

I realized from a policy standpoint that as a country we were totally ignoring fathers. We weren’t looking at a dad as an integrated part of a family. I realized that we weren’t valuing men.

What tied together the dads I photographed is lots of fatherhood programs. These focus on relationships – listening to your wife and being responsible. In a relationship you need to give people what they need and want, not what you think they need and want.

The picture of the man and father mowing the lawn – that shows the importance of men as role models. The picture of the man being fed ice cream – he’s a father who’s dressed like he’s in a gang. In the [fatherhood] program, he went back to school and started taking care of kids. That’s what’s inspiring in the different [fatherhood] projects I saw – what good fathers these men were.

Non-white fathers and poor fathers are seen in a different way [by society] and I hope that comes through in these pictures. Everybody is capable of being a good or bad parent. I made so many mistakes raising my own son. Nobody’s a perfect parent and nobody’s got no redeeming parent qualities. These guys really were becoming better dads. I hope these pictures will help people realize how important dads are.

[Click here to enter the photo essay.] 

Set as favorite

Share

Email this

Trackback(0)

TrackBack URI for this entry

Comments (1)

Great stuff

It's really good to see some positive action being made for Fathers - a true rarity in today's world. Out of curiousity, you specifiy none-white and poor fathers, if I may ask; why? What brings on the need to say in the title "all walks of life" and then effectively exclude white fathers (aside from really poor ones)? I am a white father (and I happen to be poor LoL), but I know a good few white fathers (who aren't poor) that are wonderful guys (just like we poor un's and none-white un's)... Yet the media blasts ALL fathers (well, all men really).

Marx | September 26, 2007 | url

• 
• +0
• 
• 

Write comment

This content has been locked. You can no longer post any comments.