max s. gerber(the latest shot)

in about ten weeks i’ll be an uncle. that is, i’ll be an uncle officially. my brother is having a baby. it feels like i’ve been an uncle for a very long time. even though i don’t see my many honorary nieces and nephews very often these days, there’s a strange sort of closeness that comes from photographing someone over and over again, and watching them grow up in front of you. really, with all the kids in the hearts book, i feel a sense of responsiblity, pride and protectiveness that could only be greater if they were my actual children. although, being an honorary uncle/older brother is probably much easier. having ten kids seems quite difficult – especially now that they’re all teenagers, with some even in their early 20s.

ali is going off to calarts next year to study photography. she wrote about me on her application essay. i mean, really, what more could a proud uncle ask? for weeks now since summer break started we’ve been trying to find time to hang out. since holidays don’t mean much to me (or to most freelancers) the fourth of july seemed perfect. ali was in hollywood, house-sitting for her aunt, and taking care of the dogs. she’s 17 now, and if i were in high school ali would probably be the one i’d hang out with. though to be honest she probably wouldn’t hang out with me because i don’t have a studded vest or a mohawk. she’s such a punk rocker, i totally didn’t see that coming ten years ago. i’m sure her mom didn’t, either!

ali’s last open heart surgery happened when she was young enough to let it be just a faint memory now. she’s lucky in that regard, but also unlucky in that she’s unused to all that goes along with such things. case in point, shortly after the 4th of july she had to get a blood test at a routine doctor’s appointment, and i received many panicked messages on facebook along the lines of “max, it was nice knowing you. you’ll remember me as ali sandoval the girl who died when getting her blood taken.” followed shortly, of course, by the more relaxed: “MAX!!! i lived!!!”

below, along with more pictures from the 4th, is a short 2 minute video, and a photo of ali on the first day i met her, almost a decade ago.