American Photography 30 Winners

The Distance Between Us

Nick Capozziello, Milford, Connecticut.. The Distance Between Us. There is an awful lot to life that we don’t get to see. That is why I have decided to share this story. I have been photographing someone very close to me without any real intention of making these photographs public. For me, the pictures have served as a private way for me to deal with my own anger, my own guilt, and my own shame. I want answers. I want explanations for why some suffer and others do not. I want to know why some get better while others get worse. Is it fate or is it chance or is it just bad luck? I would like you to meet my brother. I have been drawn to photographing him for as long as I have been making pictures. Nick has cerebral palsy. Making pictures has been a way for me to deal with the reality of having a twin brother who struggles through life in ways I do not. In October 2013, Edition Lammerhuber published, The Distance Between Us.

A State of Mind

A State of Mind. A person abuses drugs and falls into a tragic cycle of rehab and abuse. Unfortunately that is how this story goes. After years of heroin addiction, Monica finally comes clean when her daughter is born. Five months ago, we stood in a line that snaked through a funeral home in downtown Milford, waiting to pay our last respects to our friend who died with a needle in his arm. Monica was clean then.

A State of Mind

Laid over in Philadelphia, waiting for a flight that might not leave due to mechanical issues, Monica tells her mother over the phone she needs heroin; that if the flight doesn't take off she has to find a dealer in Philly. Back home, her mother falls to the floor crying, pleading for her to hold out and get to Florida where she'll get treatment for her addiction.

A State of Mind

Back home, her parents think she is clean, but she has fallen into a tragic cycle of abusing, detoxing, and rehabbing, all the while hiding it from her family.

A State of Mind

After a second trip to rehab in Florida, Monica falls in love with a young man who is kicking his drug habit. They get pregnant and begin to plan a life together, but not before relapsing six months into her pregnancy.