📸 Documenting a cancer journey

ON FEATURE SHOOT

Turning a Cancer Journey Into a Powerful Visual Story

Yawning in the doctor’s office, melting ice cream, waiting in traffic, stolen kisses, bedtime rituals—these mundane, in-between moments took on new meaning in the wake of photographer Anna Rathkopf’s cancer diagnosis. When Anna was diagnosed at 37 with an aggressive form of breast cancer, she knew she wanted to document this time for her young son. Her husband and caregiver, Jordan Rathkopf, also started photographing, capturing their family’s cancer journey from his perspective.

The resulting book, HER2, is a moving and vulnerable portrait of a family offering an intimate and rarely-seen look at the “new normal” many cancer patients face: the emotional and everyday realities of life in the face of illness. Through images and stories shared by Anna, Jordan, and their child, the Rathkopfs’ invite viewers to witness the complexity of survivorship, vulnerability, and resilience.

How did photographing each other and yourselves help you process Anna’s cancer diagnosis and the subsequent journey?

ANNA: “The day after I was diagnosed with cancer, I made a decision to document our journey. I didn’t know how advanced my cancer was or whether I’d survive, but I felt an overwhelming need to create something for our son, Jesse—memories he could hold onto if I didn’t make it. Over time, that need evolved into something more: a way to reclaim my voice in a situation where I felt completely silenced and powerless.

“Cancer stripped away so much. I lost my confidence, felt betrayed by my body, and grieved the loss of my fertility. But through all the pain and uncertainty, my camera became my refuge. It gave me a way to process what I was feeling and share it when words weren’t enough.

Read the interview on Feature Shoot.

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The 2024/25  Walk of Water: Water Towers photo story contest organized by Onewater, UNESCO, and MPB is still open for submissions. This year, we’re exploring the theme of water towers - from melting glaciers and enormous reservoirs to steel structures, ancient water storage methods or simple rain water barrels. This is your chance to share your water story. 

Why take part? Well, other than the opportunity for your work to be exhibited in international events, the global prizes supported by MPB include:

1st prize - 5000 EUR

2nd prize - 2000 EUR

3rd prize - 1000 EUR

4 merit prizes - 500 EUR 

There are also regional and youth prizes for South Asia and Europe for a grand total of €20,000 in prize money. 

The deadline is December 8, 2024. Winners will be announced at the end of January 2024. Read more about the competition here and submit your work on Picter.com!

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‘Trichromes’ by Sydney Krantz

Sydney Krantz uses photography as a tool to challenge perceptions, creating images that play with the boundaries of light, color, and form. Drawing from the concept of Umwelt—the idea that every organism experiences the world uniquely—she explores how sensory impressions shape reality. By peeling apart the layers of light and reassembling them, Krantz transforms it into visual stories that invite viewers to question what they see, how they see it, and what lies just beyond perception. Through this process, she aims to capture not just the visible, but the wonder of seeing itself.

📸 Do you have a photography project you’d like to share with Feature Shoot? We consider all submissions for our website, newsletter, and social media. Premium newsletter subscribers can submit for free. Otherwise, you can submit it here for USD 25 per project.

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