Norwegian photographer Margaret De Lange’s series of “Daughters” photographs were taken in the 1990’s, but not shown or exhibited until 2007. She waited until her daughters were old enough to decide if they wanted these intimate, candid moments shared with the world. Lucky for us, her girls generously agreed to let the world see the moments captured during their childhood.
The raw images captured during moments of reflection, play, and living are the kind of content only a mother could access. The subject of one’s own children partially clothed and in their natural, rugged, summertime environment could be compared to the better-known works of Sally Mann. However, the similarities end there. De Lange’s work was far less calculated than Mann’s. De Lange captured various moments in-progress, often blurry, dimly lit, with seldom a glance looking back at her lens. The magic of her images is not so much in the carefully composed scenes as it is the spirit of being young, carefree, and self-expressive. 
Some images show simple moments of play in a creek, in the dirt, and with family pets. Others capture candid moments of the girls using their imaginations and miscellaneous items to entertain themselves: old window screens for hats, pantyhose as a mask, ropes as a swing. Perhaps the most striking images are the juxtapositions of deceased animals and the girls. The sort of rural, natural life portrayed in De Lange’s photos allows us to assume the hanged wildlife are future meals, yet cuddled pets have nothing to fear. If one the photos containing deceased critters was viewed outside the whole storytelling body of work, the viewer might reflect more deeply on the loss of innocence or the saddening reminder that humans are killers despite their grace and gentleness.
The most poignant image in the book (for me) is the image of one of the girls, about age seven, urinating in the local creek. It is an adorable moment only a mother could love. The girlie bathing suit she wear, complete with ruffles and polka dots, serves as a symbol of civility—clothing to cover private parts, even in uninhabited woods where nobody can see you. Nonetheless, she has neither shame nor second thoughts about moving her suit aside to “answer nature’s call”. Also, she does so while standing up, projecting her stream in to the waters below. It is as if nobody has yet told her girls are supposed to sit when urinating and keep modestly covered. Or better yet, maybe she just does not care and chooses to defy expectations in order to do things in a way that works for her.
I bet these two daughters blossomed in to beautiful, strong, secure women that any mother would be proud to call hers. And how lucky they are to have such a moving, intimate, photojournalistic photo album of their childhoods. This book is an excellent addition for any collector of photography books focused on expressive family life, and would also serve as great inspiration for shutterbug parents with cameras.
Photo: ©Margaret M. De Lange
Publisher: Trolley Books
Printed: March 2009
Book available for purchase ($49.95) at: http://www.trolleybooks.com/books.php
Original prints represented by: http://foleygallery.com
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