I have studied over 200 children from childhood into their 20’s.  I began with some when they were newborns; others, as is the case with Alana started about the time they could read and write.  For all of them I made annual studio portraits and asked them to write answers to a series of questions, a kind of diary about their lives, their feelings, their hopes, their regrets.

My exploration, a major 30 year odyssey, has been an adventure that has yielded riches beyond my imagining.  This special young woman, Alana Chan, who now owns and operates LUNA Performing Arts (https://www.lunaperformingarts.com/) a performing arts center, proved to be as unique, fascinating and genuine as any of the many young people I have had the privilege to get to know. I always enjoyed seeing her and was very impressed by her intelligence and self-confidence.

10 years

11 years

13 years

14 years

15 years

17 years

18 years

20 years

22 years

27 years

Thank-you for participating in my project, Alana.
I wish you much success and happiness.
Please do return in a year or two, and do let us know how things are going.

The “Growing Up” project:
I am interested in everything about human development, fascinated by maturation, growth, emotional, educational and physical development. This exploration has been a major 30 year odyssey, an adventure that has yielded riches beyond my initial imagining.

Permission was signed by the parents of each and every child every year, and by the participants themselves once they turned 18. In addition, we have now sent copies of all of their writings and edited photographs to the participants for whom I have finished all my editing and have received full permission from that group to publish and post.