Underwater cables bring high speed Internet to West Africa

Hi! I’m Casey Yu and I’m a second year doctoral student at Florida State University. My research interest is exploring the use and impact of mobile photography in political and social movements. I would love to study how mobile photography was used to report on the Arab Spring. In my other professional life, I am a lifestyle portrait and wedding photographer, with strong focus on photojournalism, and in a former professional life, I was (and am) an ally and educator for social justice and equity.

Also, I have two kids, Matthew & Lindsey, who are goofballs and punks. True facts.

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Five years ago today, your baba and I waited anxiously to welcome you into the world. Early in the morning on July 13, 2006, I dragged myself up to the Evanston Hospital for my twice-weekly non-stress test – an ultrasound to check and see how you were doing (given my preexisting diabetes and potential complications that pregnancy can cause). I was 38 weeks and 3 days along at the time, and feeling fairly gargantuan.

I remember that day so clearly – I remember feeling slightly irritated that no one got up to let me sit down on the trip up to the Davis Street Purple Line stop on the El. I remember thinking and telling the technician, “Boy, am I ready to have this baby!” and then when she told me the doctor wanted me to report to labor & delivery because the amniotic fluid was very low – almost nonexistent. Suddenly I wasn’t ready to let you go. You were my constant traveling buddy – coming with me to work, riding with me on the trains, eating every meal with me, and playing with your kicks in my abdomen at night.

So, we went, and you were born – with your grandparents having driven nonstop from Atlanta to reach us in time. They had originally planned on coming up ten or so days early, taking a leisurely drive including concerts along the way, but when we called them, they changed plans and sped on through.

Every year when I sit down to write this letter I am amazed by the five (or more!) different people who have lived with us who happen to be the same person. The first person we brought home was tiny, scrawny, and with a head full of hair, startled by his own hiccups, loved by his dog Ava.

After a year of tremendous change, we realized we were living with a new person – a one year old on the edge of walking and would soon after his first birthday, do so and then continue to run ever since.

Then, when the one year old turned two, a new face emerged – like the old but definitely new. This boy didn’t walk anywhere, but ran. His smiles were huge and created adorable dimples in his face. He didn’t like cake much, either.

The three year old loved walking with his baba up and down on Telegraph Ave, and visiting with his Dixie every day. He started speech therapy to help him communicate with the outside world, and welcomed his baby sister to our home.

The four year old continued to grow up and up and up. He was in pre-kindergarten with his favorite person, Mrs. Amanda. He grows ever increasingly annoyed with me for snapping his picture often, but I persist because I want to remember you when I am old and my memory is faded. Your speech therapy is improving your speech by leaps and bounds. You were diagnosed with a phonological disorder, meaning that the work you’re doing in speech therapy is teaching you how to pronounce sounds correctly. You have really loved your teachers and are sad to see them go from semester to semester.

You have begun reading simple word booklets, are well-versed in your numbers, all while continuing to be a child who enjoys being in control. You have a quirky sense of humor and love to sing songs to us about your day. You’re starting kindergarten in the fall and we can’t wait to see you shine next year!

Someone recently asked me if I enjoyed being a mother. At first, I thought about telling her all of the nights we stayed up with you because you had croup, were adjusting to new routines, cranky, etc. I wanted to tell her about the money we spent to feed, clothe and support you. I wanted to tell her about the hours I spend in the car driving you and Lindsey all around town.

But the truth is – I don’t think of those things when I think about being your mother. I tell her of the kisses you bestow on me every night when it’s time to go to sleep. I tell her of the exuberant tackle you give me every day when I pick you up from school. I also tell her of the strength of your arms when you wrap them around me tightly because you want to stay with me and not go to school. I tell her how my heart swells with pride at the progress you’ve made with your speech and I also tell her how bittersweet it is for me to see you grow up so quickly.

The older you get, the less you will need me, as your forge your way in the world. I can only hope that the cuddles and discussions and – yes, sometimes harsh words – continue to nourish you and feed you and help you become a confident young man.

But for now, you’re still my little guy and deep in my heart you’ll always be my baby.

I love you,
Mama

I called both of my uncles “JoJo” – which is Chinese for “mother’s younger brother”. They were born twenty minutes apart and they were in every sense of the word my father. They were there for me through thick and thin, when I was a brat and when I wasn’t. I spent weeks at a time with one of my uncles as a kid in the summertime, and my love for photography stems from his passion. My other uncle helped me muddle through algebra and geometry and walked me down the aisle when I got married. Although they had their own children, they never made me feel like I wasn’t also one of theirs. My uncle Morris passed away a few Mays ago, after a long fight with cancer. I think of him every day, especially when I see his daughters on Facebook – my cousins, my sisters – and I miss him so very much. Happy Uncle’s Day, to both of my JoJos.

My twin uncles. Morris is on the left; Jonathan is on the right.

My uncle Morris is holding me and my Auntie Karen is holding my cousin Jennifer. Dresses sewn by our grandmother.

On my first birthday, my uncle Jonathan helps me blow out the candle.

3. Gary

My father-in-law is the father to two quirky kids – my husband Josh and his sister Jera. He is the beloved Pappa to Lindsey (and Matthew still calls him Bapu). When he is not off gallivanting across the country and world, every Friday night the kids sleep over at their Bapus’ house, where the kids jump enthusiastically into his arms, sit on his lap while they search for fun videos on YouTube to watch, or play Popeye and Bluto. He captured the births of my children (really!) and adores them to bits and pieces. I often hear others complain about their in-laws – to be sure, when families join together after a wedding, adjustments are required by all. But I have to say, I totally, unequivocally lucked out in the in-law department. Happy Bapu’s Day, Gary.

Where did Gary's beard go!? Holding a five-month-old sleeping (haha) Matthew, most likely with a sore and numb arm. That boy was huge.

On the occasion of Lindsey's second birthday. She is as infatuated with him as I suspect he is with her.

4. Josh

“Freight train, freight train, run so fast…” Josh sings this song to the kids every time we put them to bed, and has done so since they were both infants. It’s the choo choo song, and it’s one of many traditions Josh shares with Matthew and Lindsey. Josh stayed home with Matthew until he was about a year and a half – we balanced his last year of grad school and my work as well when we lived in Chicago – every Wednesday when he had an afternoon class, we would meet at the Argyle train station in Chicago and trade Matthew off. Matthew adores his Baba. The two of them play video games – kickin’ it old school style with an NES emulator – and read and build trains. And Lindsey loves her baba, running up to smile at him, hug him, make him kiss her cheek – it’s a regular occurrence now in the car, after we’ve picked them up from their days, for Lindsey to shout with joy, “Lindsey happy!” and smile a huge beam over to her baba. He cuddles her and comforts her in the middle of the night when she’s fussy, and whispers the lyrics to Freight Train to calm her down – or makes up the lyrics to Christmas carols* to make her squeal in laughter.

I could not have asked for a better man with whom to parent. I love you. Happy Baba’s Day.

Running around in circles.

Matthew & Lindsey, 1; Josh, 0

My favorite picture of Josh and Matthew.

When Lindsey was born, she sucked onto anything she could find, the greedy little muffin. Josh's nose was giving me a break.

*yes, we are STILL singing Christmas carols!

For the last year or so, and especially over the last few months, I’ve come to realize a few things about how different aspects of my life are merging together in a fantastic (and sometimes mindbending) way. As some of you may know, when I’m not out shooting families, I am a doctoral student at FSU. Over the last year, my research interests have finally started coming together in ways that are exciting me not only as a student, but as a photographer as well.

In addition, I’ve been shooting at least one picture a day for my project 365 blog (here), in its theme of black and white. Just the act of shooting something that represents my life, my day, in a unique way has been a challenge, but it’s totally blown my mind in many ways as well. So the end result you see is this – who I am today as a photographer, a mother, a student, and a woman. My focus in photography is within the realm of documentary photography – capturing candid moments that are truthful, emotional, natural and organic. I haven’t always done that before, in my efforts to discover what my style is and what I want to do when I grow up, but it’s my goal and my passion.

To that end, I’ve revamped things here to be aligned with what my passions and desires are. If I want you to open up to my camera and let your soul shine through, I have to do the same too, right? From now on, I’ll be posting my photography-related musings, candids and snapshots here (including my project 365; I will worry about the migration later).

Within the next few weeks as well I will be simplifying my pricing structure to reflect what I know I can do and want to do for you, so be on the look out for it. Also be on the look out, past, former and future clients, for more black and white portraits and captures of your family. Black and white photography has an amazing way of teasing out the most important parts of any image and making them rich beyond measure. I love black and white photography and I think you will to.

And one last thing to be on the look out for – film-only sessions. I am fit to burst with excitement over being able to jump back into my first love, black and white (and color too – when needed ) – film photography. I can crank up the settings on my digital camera and get noise and grain in my pictures, but nothing will be able to replicate what actual film can do.

I am thrilled and excited to be moving toward being a better photographer for not only me, but you as well. And because I can’t post something without a picture (I mean, really!), here is one of my recent favorites –

little miss serious