I had the pleasure of capturing the story of David Housholder for Fotolanthropy. Before beginning our session together I picked up David and met with him at Wendy’s just to talk and get to know each other a little better. Twenty eight years ago David was born with Spina bifida, but he has not let this take the wind out of his sails.
Anyone who spends any amount of time with David knows very quickly that he is a kind and fun person. David is confined to a wheelchair but doesn’t allow this to limit his life. He was excited to be chosen as a Fotolanthropy story so that he could be an encouragement to others with disabilities and let them know that you can still engage and be a positive influence in the world.
During our conversation it was clear to me that David had a love and passion for photography. This made our time together enjoyable as we were able to “talk shop” and share some of our favorite influential photographers. Since photography was an important interest of his I thought it would be important to some how incorporate this into his Fotolanthropy story. It was important for David to let people see how he takes his circumstances and makes the most of it and does not allow his disability to affect pursuing hobbies he enjoys. So after I was finished taking portraits of David we turned the camera around and allowed him to capture some portraits of his own with Katie and I as his subjects.
The most memorable moments I had during our session had nothing to do with me, but seeing the joy David had taking portraits, asking questions pertaining to photography and learning how to make his work stronger. It was an honor to spend time with David and make a new friend.
