I sat across from Jennifer as she told me her story. We had met briefly a month earlier and she wanted to be part of a project I was working on. After a few exchanged emails, we finally settled down in her dining room. I turned the camera on and the interview began.
When I decided I wanted to do a project celebrating the role of women in the military, I admit that I wasn’t sure how I was going to pull it off. I still have moments of “Good Lord, what did I get myself into.” I wake up in the morning wondering how in the world am I going to do this all by myself. Then I find myself sitting across from women who are eager to share their stories and who are grateful that someone has asked. It’s then that those moments of doubt are replaced with “Oh, okay. I get it. This is what I need to do” moments. Logistically and financially, I still have doubts but I know it will happen because these women deserve it.
The project is titled “She Served Proudly.” It began as a simple interview/photo project focusing on women veterans from all branches and all the major conflicts since World War II. The women and their stories have been so compelling that an audio interview alone wasn’t enough. The women should be filmed. So I’m now capturing our interviews on video. There is a plan for a website detailing the progress of the project with the goal being a book.
I want to be a storyteller with my photography and shine a light on people who don’t always have the chance to be seen and heard. This is my first major foray into that role and it’s exciting, scary, stressful, and quite humbling.
I want to include you in the progress of “She Served Proudly.” While the website is in progress, you may keep track of the project through my Facebook page and my photography website blog. I hope you enjoy the journey with me and the women veterans as they share their stories.
