The magazine of the photo-essay
April 2017 back issue
by Tierney Gearon
“A free, really high quality photo-essay magazine. Fabulous!”
Stephen Fry. British actor, writer and film & documentary maker
When I started the alphabet book four years ago I thought it was going to
be a fun, easy art project I would do with my children. Little did I know I
was about to launch on the hardest project I have done to date. Every
image was like directing a different scene in a movie, or even a different
movie for each image. The calculated kid-chaos playtime I set up with my
children and their friends with different costumes and settings for each
letter was not nearly as effortless as I’d imagined it would be.
The project started in the summer of 2010 when a close friend was going
through a divorce and I thought it would be fun to focus on doing
something creative and include the kids. For the past three years I have
been playing nurse, cowboy and Indian, princess, etc., collecting any and
every kind of interesting costume, moustache, funny object or prop.
All of the images were taken on school holidays or traveling on family trips. I would pack up the car and fill our luggage
with all kinds of things, always was ready for anything and everything. We would play, set things up and then the magic
would either happen — or not. How many moms do you know who would bring a red battery-operated mini-sized
Mercedes out to the desert with a box full of spray-paint cans and then tell the kids it is time to decorate? How could the
kids not love it?
Aa Airplane Adventure.
Bb Bear Boy.
Cc Clown Car.
Dd Doubtful Dangers.
Ee Eagle Eye.
Ff Forgetful Fishing.
Not every scenario went off without a hitch, of course. Take “Naughty nurse,” for instance. We were on holiday in
Positano, Italy. We spent an hour carefully setting up the nurse station and special bandages that had to be wrapped
just right. Grace [my youngest daughter] wore a costume I bought for my oldest daughter, Emilee, 13 years ago. (I knew
it would come in handy at some point.) Walker [my son] was the perfect wounded-soldier patient. The problem getting
all set up was, for them, the fun part. The minute I got my camera out, they said they were too hot and were done. I just
snapped away as they complained. We somehow got the shot—a crying and moaning kid. Perfect!
I think I shot the most variations for the “A” image. It had to be great because it was the first letter of the book. We were
on holiday in Mustique, in the West Indies. It was Christmas day and we sat for almost two hours waiting for a plane to
land. Suddenly the perfect plane, the only plane, finally approached. At that very moment a security van passed by and
said we had to get off the lawn. I couldn’t believe it—after all of that waiting! But in the end it turned out even better
when we moved, because we found the ideal spot to capture the image.
Gg Grumpy Girls.
Hh Hollow House.
Ii Instant Incognito.
Jj Jumping Joy.
Mm Mister Moustache.
Nn Naughty Nurse.
Oo Obviously Old.
Sometimes we would set up scenes and situations and they would sit there for days, and that was when the best shot
happened. “Private Princess” is a prime example. We set up a pink playhouse castle in Montana, the whole kingdom
spread before us. I found this great vintage red dress for my niece. She wore it every day we were there. I had other
fun costumes and props for the kids. All kinds of situations happened near the pink castle. But my favorite moment was
the quiet portrait at the end of the day, with my niece dancing alone—the calm after the chaotic playtime storm.
An hour earlier the whole party was happening; now it was just still.
The book is a complete friend-family collaboration, made with my two youngest children and their friends. It is a playful
book — what I call an art book for children, or a children’s book for adults.
Qq Quiet Quiver.
Rr Rat Reading.
Ww Wonder Wig.