On Seeing, A Journal. #377

The “Growing Up” of Olivia Grace Kim

July 7, 2020

4 years and 27 years

5 days old

I have studied over 200 children from childhood into their 20’s.  I began with some when their mothers were pregnant; others 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.

4 years old

10 years old

11 years old

15 years old

16 years old

20 years old

21 years old

27 years old

Father (with mom) holds her at 5 days old

With dad at 27 years old

This beautiful person graced the cover of my book, “Newborn” published in 1996.

During her “newborn” photoshoot, she was very unhappy when not touched or held. This informed the cover photograph.

I am interested in everything about human development. I am fascinated by maturation, growth, emotional, educational and physical development.

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. A few chose to use pseudonyms.