Photographer Melissa Kaseman shares her photographic archive of the magical and often tiny objects she found stuffed in her son Calder’s pockets after each day at preschool.

 

I have always been drawn to photography’s capacity to suspend fleeting moments of transition and change. These moments are often overlooked, left only to be sensed when a memory is triggered, or forgotten. This project was born out of a desire to capture this chapter of my son’s boyhood and development, and to create a visual journal of his imagination. The magic of childhood is so fleeting and these objects in Calder’s pockets represent the excitement of finding a “treasure.” The photographs show the traces of play from this part of his life—when play was at the forefront of his existence and development. As a mother and an artist, I wanted to document this time knowing that as he grows up his daily life in school will be consumed with homework and technology. I wanted to create a record and a reminder for him of the inspiration that comes with play and imagination.