Scott

Another portrait session last night! This time I photographed Scott, who lost his brother to suicide when he was in his 40s. Some of Scott's best memories from his brother's life come from a trip to Ireland they shared for his brother to trace their family's genealogy. When the bad days come, he tries to dwell on the positive memories from this trip, or good memories of them picking on each other as they were growing up. Scott has also had the extra burden of dealing with the trauma of finding his brother's body. On days when he feels especially bad, he loves to come home and see his dog waiting for him, happy to see him and ready to comfort him.

Scott is very adamant that more people need to talk about suicide, especially those who have experienced a loss. He feels that suicides will not be reduced until the topic begins to get more exposure. Scott thinks it's critically important for those who are suicide survivors to share their experiences, which is one of the main reason he shares his own story.