As a child I grew up around many relatives and family friends who frequently visited my grandparents home. One set of their close friends were Auggie and Marie. When they visited they always had their son Christopher with them.
Christopher was a bit different from the other cousins and friends. No one treated him any different; he just wasn't shy and he seemed to always be having a good time. He was bigger than the rest of us but I felt like I needed to keep an eye on him because I didn't want anyone to say something mean about him. That is what was going through my 6 year old mind.
Christopher has developmental disabilities. I always felt good after seeing him and still do. To explain the way and why I felt good was hard to make sense of. Until now.
Photographer Jagatjoti Singh Khalsa shows up to do a photo shoot at our studio. I heard it was going to be for a book he was publishing and it had to do with individuals who have Down Syndrome. The name of the book will be titled "I'm Down With You". Catchy title, I was really intrigued. I made it a point to talk with him after his shoot to find out more.
His peaceful presence coupled with his enthusiasm about his work made me feel like I needed to somehow show others what he is doing. Not just for awareness on Down Syndrome, which is in the forefront, but for the spiritual identity all people need to locate inside themselves. He has found within these individuals real beauty and the way to share it with the world.
You absolutely must visit his website
http://www.imdownwithyou.com/ His story of how this book came about is more than worth reading, it's worth acting on. I am very pleased to note he said the studio space had a positive feel and really enjoyed shooting here. We all at Out Of Frame wish him the best on this project and hope to see him on the next. Truly inspiring!
