Elena Loffreno
© Elena Loffreno
This photo is a part of my project “Father Daughter Work Day” in which I spent the entire day shadowing my dad with camera in hand.
The concept came to be while reflecting on my paternal grandfather’s passing back in January of this year. It was the first time I’d ever seen my dad cry.
2022 through 2023 has been tumultuous— my grandparents lost their home of 25 years in Hurricane Ian and my dad spent the following months trying to restore it until my grandfather became rapidly ill.
Soon after, my dad had a health scare and had surgery on my 21st birthday. It reminded me that my own dad won’t always be around.
I wanted to see what really goes on in his everyday life and document it so that the exact moment of my reflections would permanently be out in the world, even if we grow and age ourselves.
One thing I’ve recently come to terms with, that I think many people struggle with when entering adulthood, is that my parents are people just like me. They are not untouchable or perfect beings, but rather humans that make mistakes, feel, and worry just as much as anyone else.
