Love of a Daughter
I met this family on the pier in L.I.C. They are from Egypt. I told them about the project and they said yes to the photos, but were reluctant about the interview questions. The dad works with juvenile criminals and can see cautious trust is a part of most of his day’s encounters.
When I first saw the family, the little girl (2 years old) was patting/smacking her dad in the face. It’s a fine line between love pats and being smacked in the face by your kid who is pushing the boundaries of playfulness. From outside, it’s a bit shocking to see. But looking to Dad’s face you see this huge love and tolerance and patience in teaching the boundaries of playfulness. I knew I wanted to take their picture.
I asked him what it was like the first time he met his daughter. “I cried in the hospital,” he told me. They had been trying to have a baby for a while and when she finally arrived, he was overwhelmed with emotion.
©Katarina Kojic
©Katarina Kojic
©Katarina Kojic