![amy powell
amy powell photography
mamiya 7
erica & I](https://format.creatorcdn.com/f1df4bf6-8a47-48e7-b3a0-c6979d0166f3/0/0/0/0,0,720,570,720,1200/0-0-0/eaa1d737-f91d-4dc7-a520-b9b8f7a3cbfd/1/1/Knife.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037462589~hmac=4d64a26798412d94660458d37d0347cbfffb41bd26c27a0f338cf5f505e36193)
Amy: Do you remember this?
When my mother gave birth to my half-sister Erica, I was twenty years old. Sitting in the hospital room with my camera at 4 a.m., mom made giving birth look easy. I photographed as Erica made her way into the world, cut her umbilical cord myself, and was the very first person to hold her. In that moment I gave her a name she didn't get to keep. And she peed on me.
Ever since, photographing Erica has been a window into my own elusive childhood.
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/f1df4bf6-8a47-48e7-b3a0-c6979d0166f3/0/0/0/0,0,1000,814,1000,1200/0-0-0/ed259d4c-a6c0-4d8a-be4f-11601f62c96f/1/1/pumpkinpatchhouse.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037462589~hmac=25fe520fba01c8e8b6641aa23cf4d431bafe54e485ae434ebb482c40ee549790)
The front yard became a pumpkin patch after Erica planted a pumpkin seed the year before.
![amy powell
amy powell photography
mamiya 7
erica & I](https://format.creatorcdn.com/f1df4bf6-8a47-48e7-b3a0-c6979d0166f3/0/0/0/0,0,1000,800,1000,1200/0-0-0/d31a845c-3508-4ecc-9fad-57fcdc2c482b/1/1/Powell1000-grownup.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037462589~hmac=9a25da5a6c69a5b1f946eeede6b33d8fb7a95fe1fe085f7802d0a9dde30501a2)
Summer.
![amy powell
amy powell photography
mamiya 7
erica & I](https://format.creatorcdn.com/f1df4bf6-8a47-48e7-b3a0-c6979d0166f3/0/0/0/0,0,1000,792,1000,1200/0-0-0/9b5d98ef-b0f9-4a82-86c6-ac7de0e4614b/1/1/Powell1000-basketball.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037462589~hmac=1284b73bb1300e44aeaa930d3ba5ea32e820516df08b101a20bfda7e876436f7)
Playing basketball in the frontyard.
![amy powell
amy powell photography
mamiya 7
erica & I](https://format.creatorcdn.com/f1df4bf6-8a47-48e7-b3a0-c6979d0166f3/0/0/0/0,0,1000,803,1000,1200/0-0-0/6ff1a7ae-fe05-4198-89bd-2bb7d26dddbb/1/1/squirelstep.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037462589~hmac=9242a0fcb2bf125e226124725c56bec9d4e5ae471f2c3033c9bc4fbb0c8571a5)
A young squirrel lost his mother.
![amy powell
amy powell photography
mamiya 7
erica & I](https://format.creatorcdn.com/f1df4bf6-8a47-48e7-b3a0-c6979d0166f3/0/0/0/0,0,720,572,720,1200/0-0-0/fbf59c77-4e02-47c8-bb9c-319204c63f45/1/1/Snake.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037462589~hmac=4f18078886295410101875fd0e8a002a19c74db50edd60939e96709611c78f10)
![amy powell
amy powell photography
mamiya 7
erica & I](https://format.creatorcdn.com/f1df4bf6-8a47-48e7-b3a0-c6979d0166f3/0/0/0/0,0,1000,787,1000,1200/0-0-0/a6fb3623-68ad-487f-904f-68212a67e328/1/1/w-headstand.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037462589~hmac=0f0553be6ba4216eada110cdb7c56f7b2f486865f7fb68315e974a25b76736dc)
Watching cartoons and doing headstands.
![amy powell
amy powell photography
mamiya 7
erica & I](https://format.creatorcdn.com/f1df4bf6-8a47-48e7-b3a0-c6979d0166f3/0/0/0/0,0,2000,1607,2000,1200/0-0-0/4572b25b-6662-4edb-9de8-1b7c1d726fd9/1/1/DryerEDITWEB.jpg.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037462589~hmac=ce8249216180aae97ac6de069c61a39e4869b39bc15da1c2f945a5111215bd51)
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/f1df4bf6-8a47-48e7-b3a0-c6979d0166f3/0/0/0/0,0,1246,1000,1246,1200/0-0-0/b980ca38-ced5-449a-93a9-5ad674600d4d/1/1/Powell19_dykpxo.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037462589~hmac=e116bda54971aeb82182c33c56abe98ef7575882a044314708e4871b6570f0fe)
Mom: The sun is like a blanket. It keeps her warm.
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/f1df4bf6-8a47-48e7-b3a0-c6979d0166f3/0/0/0/0,0,1000,799,1000,1200/0-0-0/a369015a-613f-424a-af05-79b2e6b3ffe4/1/1/peebedBETTER.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037462589~hmac=8c73b11ad05be24ead1a3d2762885e6be7cd0b588dee16b18f434c62d627cddd)
![amy powell
amy powell photography
mamiya 7
erica & I](https://format.creatorcdn.com/f1df4bf6-8a47-48e7-b3a0-c6979d0166f3/0/0/0/0,0,1000,800,1000,1200/0-0-0/d110bb9b-19a3-4117-9b0a-32cfcfdf55c9/1/1/Powell1000-carwindow.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037462589~hmac=9a25da5a6c69a5b1f946eeede6b33d8fb7a95fe1fe085f7802d0a9dde30501a2)
Crawling on the truck on mom's birthday.
![amy powell
amy powell photography
mamiya 7
erica & I](https://format.creatorcdn.com/f1df4bf6-8a47-48e7-b3a0-c6979d0166f3/0/0/0/0,0,1000,814,1000,1200/0-0-0/e844b555-dc83-4975-9043-05aced19f204/1/1/Untitled-6.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037462589~hmac=25fe520fba01c8e8b6641aa23cf4d431bafe54e485ae434ebb482c40ee549790)
Beagles smile for every picture.
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/f1df4bf6-8a47-48e7-b3a0-c6979d0166f3/0/0/0/0,0,1250,1000,1250,1200/0-0-0/afd6e0a6-dfb5-4668-9e51-b87948274eef/1/1/53.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037462589~hmac=2b19cbb2019b126db52944649b874352bc6b28ce292ebb45eba587b1039e0d85)
![amy powell
amy powell photography
mamiya 7
erica & I](https://format.creatorcdn.com/f1df4bf6-8a47-48e7-b3a0-c6979d0166f3/0/0/0/0,0,720,576,720,1200/0-0-0/f59f3f5e-3622-4f79-8465-3e4e1e8c1abe/1/1/Lights.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037462589~hmac=28a5b7bd36d7dc142390168b7cbfce2933ad71e44bc6dfd446079fa7e17b3f57)
Mom thinks the Christmas lights look like something else.
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/f1df4bf6-8a47-48e7-b3a0-c6979d0166f3/0/0/0/0,0,1250,1000,1250,1200/0-0-0/b12b041c-8068-4f7c-a9fa-c811bc6aa779/1/1/heelsssweb_hk7l3u.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037462589~hmac=2b19cbb2019b126db52944649b874352bc6b28ce292ebb45eba587b1039e0d85)
![amy powell
amy powell photography
mamiya 7
erica & I](https://format.creatorcdn.com/f1df4bf6-8a47-48e7-b3a0-c6979d0166f3/0/0/0/0,0,1000,795,1000,1200/0-0-0/95075f0f-4958-404f-a493-d860568cd49d/1/1/Ericatiedup.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037462589~hmac=1791172dba869efd91225f250d99324ef1a47f199bf36538272ab844d6b9f376)
After Emmet Gowin.
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/f1df4bf6-8a47-48e7-b3a0-c6979d0166f3/0/0/0/0,0,1000,799,1000,1200/0-0-0/da03fb9b-4ebd-4e54-bbb5-5a83eb1481a4/1/1/ericafriendw.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037462589~hmac=8c73b11ad05be24ead1a3d2762885e6be7cd0b588dee16b18f434c62d627cddd)
![amy powell
amy powell photography
mamiya 7
erica & I](https://format.creatorcdn.com/f1df4bf6-8a47-48e7-b3a0-c6979d0166f3/0/0/0/0,0,1000,801,1000,1200/0-0-0/76691edb-c099-4835-b128-e268a5b8923c/1/1/Powell1000-airplanedog.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037462589~hmac=db6cf35bfc3069e12f7b736e8c3779b5117f3f2ea0de23054cefa24b83093c6d)
Cassie is an airplane dog.
![amy powell
amy powell photography
mamiya 7
erica & I](https://format.creatorcdn.com/f1df4bf6-8a47-48e7-b3a0-c6979d0166f3/0/0/0/0,0,1000,804,1000,1200/0-0-0/dcbcc49e-109f-46ae-8095-03066b58c7dc/1/1/ericatongue2.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037462589~hmac=7ac8067c544f8572212065cbac77916e81df734c88574ee108c7d8a394be9f4a)
Erica with her toys and a sliver of sunshine.
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/f1df4bf6-8a47-48e7-b3a0-c6979d0166f3/0/0/0/0,0,1000,796,1000,1200/0-0-0/e5cdb937-1805-40e1-85e6-31c289aa8791/1/1/wetballDUSTED.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037462589~hmac=a6a18e9cc0944e648f9e51e67c9cc8d4534bae0c7f5afb3636209fffe65380fa)
![amy powell
amy powell photography
mamiya 7
erica & I](https://format.creatorcdn.com/f1df4bf6-8a47-48e7-b3a0-c6979d0166f3/0/0/0/0,0,1000,800,1000,1200/0-0-0/a1d16d88-fc8d-40f3-b058-9c64b955c798/1/1/Powell1000-hug.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037462589~hmac=9a25da5a6c69a5b1f946eeede6b33d8fb7a95fe1fe085f7802d0a9dde30501a2)
Mom says her hugs last long after she lets go.
Amy: Tell me what you think.![amy powell
amy powell photography
mamiya 7
erica & I](https://format.creatorcdn.com/f1df4bf6-8a47-48e7-b3a0-c6979d0166f3/0/0/0/0,0,1000,811,1000,1200/0-0-0/e480eac1-ecb6-49e4-9fd6-b4b954bc0d55/1/1/doggierain.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037462589~hmac=001ed86a977026990ee8e6b0b861083d146b2ba0d70857563ca5e81fe0f1dee0)
![amy powell
amy powell photography
mamiya 7
erica & I](https://format.creatorcdn.com/f1df4bf6-8a47-48e7-b3a0-c6979d0166f3/0/0/0/0,0,1250,1000,1250,1200/0-0-0/4e0189cd-fa6c-4dea-abd5-d86f364863fe/1/1/iceywindowlookWEB2_ygmvvv.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037462589~hmac=2b19cbb2019b126db52944649b874352bc6b28ce292ebb45eba587b1039e0d85)
![amy powell
amy powell photography
mamiya 7
erica & I](https://format.creatorcdn.com/f1df4bf6-8a47-48e7-b3a0-c6979d0166f3/0/0/0/0,0,1000,800,1000,1200/0-0-0/6ef5396d-451f-40ad-a2fd-bfcaaaaaa6dc/1/1/Powell1000-reflection.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037462589~hmac=9a25da5a6c69a5b1f946eeede6b33d8fb7a95fe1fe085f7802d0a9dde30501a2)