Week 14 | Project 52 Photography Challenge: Black and White

I can’t think of a more fitting week for my Project 52 Photography Challenge to have a black and white theme. Last week, I was invited to photograph an anniversary session for an absolutely fantastic couple, in Macungie, PA. Not only was I excited to get a chance to celebrate Christina & Greg’s one year anniversary, but I was also excited for a little time away. Since Macungie is so far from Baltimore, I had to stay overnight. I assumed I would just hang around the hotel and get a little hiking in, until it dawned on me… Macungie is just 90 minutes from my Grandma’s hometown of Wilkes-Barre! The wheels in my head started turning and I decided that once the fun with Christina and Greg was over, I was going on a little road trip.

Week 14 of my Project 52 Photography Challenge: Black and White

Once I made the decision to go, I messaged my aunt to find out my Grandma’s former address. I had been here, once before, when I was about 15 years old- but like most teens, I didn’t really appreciate the trip and I don’t remember much from my time there. I had always been incredibly close with my Grandma, so when she passed away this past December, I’ve missed having that connection with her.

Armed with the address in my GPS, I headed straight for her old home on Oaklawn Ave in Wilkes-Barre, PA. As I pulled onto the top of the street, I stopped in my tracks. The view was impressive and I was totally able to imagine my Grandma walking home from school, down this hill with her brothers and friends. Across the street is the cemetery where she told me she used to play, and I could picture her sitting on her porch, playing with her dolls, looking over the cemetery.

Over the years, my Grandma told me so many stories about her life in Wilkes-Barre. She told me about walking the neighbor’s baby in a pram, up and down this street, for a little extra spending money, and the times her father would run with her- hopping the fence to the graveyard and playing in the grass. I’m so glad that I decided to make the drive and get a better glimpse of my Grandma’s childhood. If you ever have the chance to retrace your loved ones’ steps, I highly recommend doing so. I plan to make the trip back with my sister sometime. I’ll plan it so that we have more time and can really take in the area. In the mean-time, I’ll just enjoy this black and white image of her street and try to imagine my Grandma, enjoying life with her family here, long before she started her new life in Baltimore.

Be sure to check out last week’s theme image on the blog!

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