In the Fall of September 2013 at the age of twenty-three I brought a beautiful little girl into this world. Having Ryleigh was a different feeling of love, one I had never experienced. I am adopted and she was the only blood-related family member I knew of at the time. Her father and I often did not see eye to eye, and eventually separated.

Ryleigh was young when we made the decision to go our separate ways, but the one thing we did agree on was to share her in our lives equally. By sharing custody, she would experience both of us equally and enjoy what we have to offer her as individuals. This series expresses the struggles of a common social phenomenon, that of shared child custody.

My images express both Ryleigh’s and my internal struggles brought about by estranged parental communication difficulties. My photographs focus on the daily aspects of family miscommunication and occasional awkwardness.  I personally feel a constant emptiness when she is away. By bringing these problems to light, I hope to show how making decisions for the betterment of a child is difficult for all involved.