iHeartFaces Week 8 (2nd year): Hands On

by | Feb 21, 2010 | contests & giveaways, family & friends, iHeartFaces, photography | 46 comments

This week’s themes at iHeartFaces is “Hands On” and the guest judge is Becky Earl.

When I first heard the theme “Hands On,” I thought of a cool, artsy shot I have of my oldest son. When I read theme’s description, however, I changed my mind:

Show off those teeny-tiny baby hands, chubby toddler hands, the soothing hands of a mama or the gnarled, wise hands of a grandfather.

That brought to mind this photo that I took of my almost 96-year-old great-aunt in March 2008. She’d led a long and healthy life and hadn’t seen a doctor for years up until the final few days of her life. After a brief stay in the hospital, she spent a day in hospice and then passed away quietly in the night; I was there.

We’d taken our kids to see her earlier that evening. She didn’t wake up, but the kids held her hands. I looked at their held hands and wished I had a camera. I had a new BlackBerry, and my son mentioned that the camera on it was supposed to be pretty good. She passed away 5 hours later.

My first DSLR arrived in the mail less than a week after this shot was taken. This is the straight-out-of-camera (camera phone, that is) shot.

This week, the camera phone photo just felt like the right choice.

46 Comments

  3. Jenni Williams
    Jenni Williams on February 21, 2010 at 11:52 pm

    Made me cry too. Absolutely beautiful picture.

  4. BeckeyZ
    BeckeyZ on February 21, 2010 at 11:52 pm

    Beautiful and touching….lovely photo, sometimes you just have to use what you have when the moment strikes. I’m glad you did.

  5. fidget
    fidget on February 21, 2010 at 11:54 pm

    <3 beautiful moment
    .-= fidget´s last blog ..I’m blogging just to tell you I’m not blogging =-.

  9. Austin-Lee
    Austin-Lee on February 22, 2010 at 12:13 am

    Glad that you caught that special moment. Very sweet photo.
    .-= Austin-Lee´s last blog ..You Picked Me =-.

  10. Becca
    Becca on February 22, 2010 at 12:24 am

    Literally brought tears to my eyes. And NOT just because I’m a cry-baby (although i am) — It’s BEAUTIFUL!
    .-= Becca´s last blog ..Linky-Love =-.

  11. BE~Photography Blog
    BE~Photography Blog on February 22, 2010 at 1:01 am

    What a beautiful photo. Thank you for sharing this personal moment.
    .-= BE~Photography Blog´s last blog ..Hands on! =-.

  13. Teresa Hart
    Teresa Hart on February 22, 2010 at 2:17 am

    What a great capture! Grandmother’s hands are so special!

  14. Jenn
    Jenn on February 22, 2010 at 6:56 am

    OMG… I was literally brought to tears w/ your shot. AMAZING and alot of emotion in this one photo! Thanks for sharing!
    .-= Jenn´s last blog ..Cell Phone Mosaic on a Sunday…. =-.

  15. TidyMom
    TidyMom on February 22, 2010 at 8:34 am

    What a beautiful moment you captured! your story brought tears to my eyes….I was with my Dad when he passed away at home 6 years ago…..that shot says it all ?
    .-= TidyMom´s last blog ..I ? Faces {Hands} =-.

  16. Dana-from chaos to Grace
    Dana-from chaos to Grace on February 22, 2010 at 9:26 am

    Oh this one just makes me WEEP! Makes me miss my Grandma and wish that she could have met my other 2 children before she passed. This is a photo you will ALWAYS treasure!
    .-= Dana-from chaos to Grace´s last blog ..Week 8=Hands on =-.

  17. Holly
    Holly on February 22, 2010 at 9:44 am

    This photo has brought tears and long buried emotions out in me. It’s a small slice of humanity that we all experience, but rarely see the beauty in. I’m so happy that you were able to capture this moment, and chose to share it with all of us.

  19. Michelle Pixie
    Michelle Pixie on February 22, 2010 at 10:06 am

    Breathtaking!!

  20. alice
    alice on February 22, 2010 at 10:33 am

    i love this! now you’re making me cry, such a beautiful picture with such loving hands. what a blessing!
    .-= alice´s last blog ..Week #8, i ? faces "Hands-On-Fun" =-.

  22. Brittany Barclay
    Brittany Barclay on February 22, 2010 at 11:24 am

    Beautiful capture of a heart-breaking moment.

  24. Maryvel
    Maryvel on February 22, 2010 at 12:10 pm

    What a beautiful picture! It doesn’t matter what you took it with, though even the quality is pretty good! The message it gives, speaks volumes! LOVE IT! Thank you for sharing!
    .-= Maryvel´s last blog ..Fixt-It-Friday! =-.

  25. Amanda
    Amanda on February 22, 2010 at 12:13 pm

    A photo to cherish!

  26. Cari Enticknap (carebear)
    Cari Enticknap (carebear) on February 22, 2010 at 12:56 pm

    Beautiful moment you captured. Thank you for sharing the image, and the story behind it.

  27. Tezzie
    Tezzie on February 22, 2010 at 2:08 pm

    What amazing emotion your photo evokes…I’m all teary eyed and full of goose bumps. Thank you for sharing your beautiful story.
    .-= Tezzie´s last blog .."I Heart Hands" – Photo Challenge =-.

  28. Laureen
    Laureen on February 22, 2010 at 2:20 pm

    I have tears in my eyes.
    (Sitting at my desk in fron of a class of ninth graders.)

  30. adrienne
    adrienne on February 22, 2010 at 4:37 pm

    This is perfectly poignant!

  33. Jane
    Jane on February 22, 2010 at 8:17 pm

    What a priceless photo! How special that you and your children were there with her.
    .-= Jane´s last blog ..I Heart Faces — “Hands-On Fun” =-.

  35. Rachel
    Rachel on February 22, 2010 at 8:42 pm

    Very cool! So glad y’all remembered the camera phone. What a wonderful way to remember.
    .-= Rachel´s last blog ..iHeartFa…Hands! =-.

  36. Tammie Gilchrist
    Tammie Gilchrist on February 22, 2010 at 11:14 pm

    Very sweet indeed – it’s moments like these not too long ago we would have missed without the camera phone and for that I am grateful too. Thank you for sharing such a dear piece of your family history with the i heart faces community 🙂
    ~Tammie

  37. kimber
    kimber on February 23, 2010 at 12:12 am

    Oh. My. Goodness.
    A picture that needs no words.

  39. Mariana Perri
    Mariana Perri on February 23, 2010 at 2:21 pm

    This is truly awesome!

  40. jean smith
    jean smith on February 23, 2010 at 4:51 pm

    great capture! i love the contrast and story of this image.

  42. Tiffany
    Tiffany on February 23, 2010 at 10:41 pm

    This is beautiful!

  44. Jane
    Jane on February 25, 2010 at 11:05 pm

    That is a wonderful picture…what a great deed it was that you were there for her!
    .-= Jane´s last blog ..High Temperature curtains =-.

  45. Jessica
    Jessica on February 26, 2010 at 4:10 pm

    That is what it means whenever they say a picture speaks a thousand words. I also have a photography blog I’d love for you to visit and follow. 🙂

  46. lisa leonard
    lisa leonard on March 2, 2010 at 10:11 pm

    what a beautiful pics. so glad you were there. so glad you captured that.

Pin It on Pinterest