I was approached by a loving daughter to take photos of her mother's quilts that had not fallen victim to the flood of 2013. So much was lost in that damned flood. Some of the most painful losses were those things attached to special memories. In this case, it was a large number of quilts created over a lifetime by Elizabeth Kohlhammer. As a way to prevent a loss like that from ever happening again, I was tasked with photographing her quilts that had not been lost in the floodwaters.
When I first spoke to Monika about her plans she was open to any suggestions I had. Her plan was to take the images I shot and create a book from them. My first thought was - do not hang these pieces up on a wall and shoot them flat. My next thought, because these quilts meant so much to the family, was to treat them like members of the family and take them to locations in the area for their very own photoshoots.
My first choice of location was simple - Sheppard Family Park. So fitting for a place to photograph handmade quilts
A breeze happened along at just the right moment and created a special pose in keeping with the design of the quilt.
Next up was a visit to George Lane Park.
Back in town and a stop at Emerson Lake where the nautical feel of these quilts felt at home.
Wooden tulips growing in Elizabeth's garden were a good backdrop for this quilt.
A visit to the Museum of the Highwood to display some of Elizabeth's braided rugs.
Elizabeth is a devout woman, her church and faith are integral to her life and as such, I felt sharing that aspect of her in this project was important as well. We arranged access to her church and created what I feel is one of the loveliest images.
Credits:
C.J Bennington Fine Art Photography