Her client list includes the Hyatt and Herman Miller; her photography’s been published in Monocle and The New Yorker. But Oakland-based photographer Melissa Kaseman‘s most poignant work stems from an idea as simple as photographing the contents of her 3-year old son Calder’s pockets after a day of school.
In Preschool Pocket Treasures, Kaseman documents random objects a child would deem important enough to keep and carry around with him. Aside from small toys – rubber spiders or Legos – she’s fished out tinsel, tiny rocks, crumpled flowers, glittery paper, feathers, burst balloons, and broken crayons from her son’s pockets. In its simplicity, the photo series is an endearing project that encapsulates the magic of childhood.
“I like the idea of the photographs being a taxonomy report of a child’s imagination, specifically Calder’s. I hope he carries the wonderment of discovery throughout his life,” says Kaseman. Browse the entire series here.
