It’s funny how much emotional weight such a little fella can carry. I really hope he’s going to be okay. People always say that kids bounce back, and all you can do is hold onto that and believe it’s true. I always joke with him that he’s my absolute favorite nephew. I usually get sharp, betrayed glances from my niece right up until the penny drops and she realizes he’s my only nephew—then all is immediately forgiven.

I miss them both terribly. I suppose that’s just the unfortunate reality of what happens to families when geographical distance wedges itself between you. Technically, this picture was shot right from the hip using an old Nikon Coolpix E990. With its unique swivel-body design, it was an absolute dream for this kind of unobtrusive, candid work. I took a whole series of frames leading up to this moment, but this particular shot—with its quiet symmetry and heavy underlying meaning—just has it all. For me, it perfectly encapsulates the overarching mood of that time.

It was a deeply difficult period for everyone in the family, including him, even if he doesn’t fully understand it yet… and perhaps he never will.

I love them all to bits. As always, let me know what you think… csj

Update 10-05-2026: He turned out just fine…. and so did my niece! – Proud Uncle

• taken|8 july, 2001
• camera|Nikon Coolpix E990
• lens|built-in
• focal length|9mm
• aperture|f/5.1
• shutter speed|1/151s
• shooting mode|program
• exposure bias|0 ev
• metering mode|spot
• iso|100
• flash fired|no
• image quality|JPEG
• raw converter|n/a
• cropped|no
• location|Welwyn Garden City