So I was going to blog about a shooting, Gwyneth Paltrow, a Puerto Rican Parade, pythons, baseball, CPS, and various other things that don't make sense together unless photojournalism is involved. However, I think Johnny deserves his own post.
Johnny is a 4 year old with mild autism whose father is doing a first person article for the Health and Fitness section of the Chicago Tribune about raising a son with autism. We talked about the stigmas and assumptions associated with the diagnosis, as well as how difficult it is to deal with the fact that there is not a cure. Johnny does yoga spontaneously to calm himself. I felt very lucky to be welcomed into the Zimmerman Family's home for a few hours to document their evening routine and get to know Johnny.
I have found myself being given more and more autism assignments, probably because of my interest and experience with the subject. Its really nice to have found a niche that I am so deeply passionate about and enjoy shooting so much. Below are a few loose selects from the night.
Hey Johnny, if you see this...CHEESE AND BROCCOLI!
PS-The Kelly High School girls varsity soccer team that I posted about last has let me continue with their story, so look for updates on that soon! I can't wait to tell the world all about them.