Smile

This photograph is part of my project about people over 70. I took a portrait of Pearl in her apartment and asked her to remember her smile. It sounds, perhaps, touching and profound. But in my project, I strive to capture not only the outer appearance but also the inner states of people—their memories, their light. The very idea of “remembering a smile” seems to invite a person to return to moments when they were happy, when the world felt a bit lighter and brighter. Pearl, smiling at my request, seemed to gift me a moment of truth—something very personal, yet shared with me through the lens.