This an an image by me, that was published by Kreativ Magazine in 2017. They were seeking conceptual photo sets with the theme of Emotions. Each set required a written piece, explaining why you chose to portray the emotion you did.
This was my submitted story:
"The concept I chose to portray, was the emotion Grief. I chose this emotion because of a recent event where a young pregnant woman was grieving the loss of her boyfriend, whom had just been shot and killed by a rival gang.
I shot my set in the middle of a recent wildfire burn area. I wanted the landscape to represent a living hell, very bleak, and void of life. I put a cross in the ground, to represent a death. I edited the set to resemble a dark, moonlit night; just how it was the night of the shooting.
I dressed my model in a simple white dress. White to represent the innocence of her and her child. The white roses, also known as bridal roses, gives a clue to the future the young couple had. She dug at the earth, trying to eliminate all things between them. When the grief grew too strong she laid down, as close as she could, to the man she loved. In the end, she knew that she must leave.
None of this would have been possible if it were not for my model: Allison Sharpe, she is an actress first, model second. She was a perfect fit for this concept, you can see and feel her grief in every image."
This was conceived by me, from a real life event. Over a decade ago, I was a Specialist Reserve Officer with the Los Angeles Police Department. I was a part of a Search And Rescue team, based out of LAPD, called California Emergency Mobile Patrol.
On this evening, CEMP was called out by the San Fernando Police Department, to secure a crime scene of a double homicide. I was assigned the north end of the crime scene. This just happened to be where friends and family of the deceased gathered. The girlfriend of one of the victims, was there...she did not appear to be pregnant, but was laying on the ground, in total grief, screaming "my babys daddy." Over and Over.
Also present, was the boys mother. One of the most emotionally difficult issues I have had to deal with, was a mother crying and begging me to please let her hug her baby, before they take him away. It hurts me to this day.