Angela Douglas-Ramsey‘s collection Carbon Copy is currently on display as a part of the Atelier 33 exhibition in the Griffin Main Gallery until March 26, 2021. Interested to know more about her deeply personal project of photographing her relationship with her daughter, we asked her a few questions.

Which of these images was the impetus for this series? How did it inform how you completed the series?

The image that is the foundation of my project is called “Looking Forward.”   It embodies everything the project is about. My daughter is coming into the adult world as I watch. It is bittersweet. This project is ongoing.  My goal is to continue it until she leaves for college. The Atelier helped me expand the way I photographed this project. My daughter and I do a daily “call and response.” It is a funny and meaningful visual conversation with a preteen and her mother. 

 

How has your photography changed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic? Has the Atelier been a motivator to persevere through these trying times?

Oh my gosh, yes, so much. I started creating self portraits and working on my thoughtful work. As a documentary photographer, when the pandemic hit, I had no more projects. I had to reinvent myself. The spring was a very trying time for me and photography gave me a purpose. I feel lucky to have gotten the last spot in the Atelier. The class has taught me so much. I see photography is a different way. Meg has been a great teacher. I have been challenged with each assignment and enjoy the challenges. 

How has this project brought you closer to your daughter? Did you find yourself photographing your family in a different way than you did prior to the pandemic?

Yes. We go on photo walks together and giggle a lot during our portrait sessions. I could create an entire zine of our funny outtakes. Pre-Covid, I only documented my family. Now, I pose and use more of a narrative approach to tell stories within my family.

What do you hope we as viewers take away from viewing your work?

I hope the viewers see the relationship between a mother and a daughter. I hope they see the love and see the pull. The pull that my daughter is slowly starting to do.

Tell us what is next for you creatively.

I will continue to work on my long term projects. I have a new motivation for all of them. I am also working on a new self portrait project. I am still very much in the research phases and look forward to creating images in the coming months. 

For more of Angela Douglas-Ramsey’s work, visit her and her Instagram, @AngelaDouglasPhoto.