These booklets are the result of a Care Album session. A care album is so-called because it is created within a care practice. The pictures in it do not necessarily have to represent or depict “care”. What is important is its doing. The care album is named so because its doing implies an empathetic approach and an active search for connection. The editing is always shared, generally between just two people in order to keep it intimate and focused.

The participant chooses a set of photographs. When the session starts I ask the participant to look at their photographs and to divide them in a minimum of two sets. There is no maximum number of sets of pictures. The participant can also discard pictures. Not all of the pictures have to end up in the album. The photographs are divided by by theme, according to what the images resonate with and represent for the person. When this step is complete, we enter a conversation about how they divided the stack of pictures and why. Afterwards the pictures are positioned in the album, in whatever order or manner the participant wants to place them. While positioning the pictures, the focus of the conversation can be on the idea of care and photography but this is not mandatory. When the session is finished, I speak with the participant about the experience of making the care album and discuss it. The care album with the editing act and process mediates care, is the vehicle used to express care and at the same time conveys form of care as its message. The album edit, which is the result of an encounter with people, is a way of helping the photographs come to life. The discussions and conversations that we have about the pictures while editing the album is the final expression of care.

The sessions are filmed, and once the editing process is finished the pages are also filmed, as a way of recording and archiving the care album.

You can find out here more about the Care Album making:
https://vimeo.com/600862592