A group taught 24 young cancer patients photography. These are the photos they took.
On April 22, 2017, 24 kids armed with cameras took to the streets of Boston.
Their first assignment: go high and low, worms-eye and birds-eye, to complete a photographic scavenger hunt. For the next five weeks, they'd be sent out again and again, building up an incredible archive of photos.
The photos (and challenges) were part of Pablove Shutterbugs, an arts education program for kids and teens in cancer treatment. The program was started in 2011 by Jo Ann Thrailkill in memory of her son, Pablo, a young photo buff who died of cancer in 2009.
"Foggy Pier" by Lily, age 11. Photo from The Pablove Foundation. All photos used with permission.
Learning to take photos while you're going through cancer treatment might seem like a nice distraction — and it does sound fun — but Shutterbugs is a serious education program as well, meant to teach new, technical skills.It includes both classes at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and real-world photo assignments.
Lily, 11, is one of the kids. Her dad, Garry, said he can see the confidence when she carries her camera with her. "When their picture comes out good, because of something [Lily] learned in class, I can see how proud she is," Garry said in an email.
The program ran through May 20, but the kids are getting a little something extra as well. Some of their photography will be displayed at an art gallery at the Fort Point Arts Community this June.
"It is very exciting," Lily said in an email. "My dad says that it took him a long time to get anyone to look at his photos and I am only 11 and lots of people have seen my photos."
Here are 11 more photos from this year's group of kids:
1. Zuehailey, 10 — "About to Be Squished by a Car"
Photo from The Pablove Foundation.
2. Zuehailey, 10 — "Untitled"
Photo from The Pablove Foundation.
3. Julia, 7 — "Adventures With Teddy"
Photo from The Pablove Foundation.
4. Julia, 7 — "Egg-cellent Dinner!"
Photo from The Pablove Foundation.
5. Lily, 11 — "Track to Trees"
Photo from The Pablove Foundation.
6. Skyler, 14 — "Glow Wherever You Go"
Photo from The Pablove Foundation.
7. Skyler, 14 — "Let the Waves Hit Your Feet and the Sand Be Your Seat"
Photo from The Pablove Foundation.
8. Alyssa, 16 — "The Lighthouse"
Photo from The Pablove Foundation.
9. Ronnie, 13 — "Through the Diamond"
Photo from The Pablove Foundation.
10. Ani, 13 — "Untitled"
Photo from The Pablove Foundation.
11. Dominic, 16 — "Untitled"
Photo from The Pablove Foundation.
The kids at Pablove aren't cancer patients who take photos. They're photographers who are dealing with cancer.
Cancer sucks. There just isn't really any way around that. When your days and weeks are structured around treatment and doctor appointments, it can feel like cancer becomes your entire identity.
By focusing on developing a technical skill like photography, Pablove gives some of that identity — that sense of agency — back.
The Shutterbugs program currently operates in seven cities across the United States, including Austin, New York, and San Francisco. The Pablove Foundation also provides funding grants for cancer research.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."