Helping Hands
Photos and Writing by Isabella Nicosia
My project, "Helping Hands," aims to capture the story behind each individual's hands. The way one's hands look can tell a lot about the life they have lived, the experiences they have had, and the challenges they have overcome to get to where they are today. The meanings behind these images are very subjective, because the individuals whose hands are photographed have shared what their hands represent to them. Captions are important in this piece because they give meaning to the images. To capture these images, I took photos of the outside and inside of the hands of five students at Washington State University, as well as a photo of the outside of my mother's hands. I then edited the images using Photoshop and put them in black and white in order to show high contrast so that the lines of the hands are more defined.
"My hands represent my children and my experiences as a mother." - Kristina Nicosia, Teacher at Inspire Charter Schools in Sacramento, California. This photograph has been put in black and white to show high contrast.
The hands of Ashdeep Mahein, Computer Science major at Washington State University. This photograph has been put in black and white to show high contrast.
"My hands represent supporting others through painful times in their lives so they don't have to hurt alone." - Ashdeep Mahein
The hands of Megan Sanders, Psychology major at Washington State University. This photograph has been put in black and white to show high contrast.
"These hands push others forward, rather than helping themselves." - Megan Sanders
The hands of Jenna Mangiagli, Human Development major and student athlete at Washington State University. This photograph has been put in black and white to show high contrast.
"My hands represent the power of comfort to those who are healing." - Jenna Mangiagli
The hands of Miranda Armstrong, double major in Pre-Med Neuroscience and Spanish, and student athlete at Washington State University. This photograph has been put in black and white to show high contrast.
"My hands represent the highs and lows of division one rowing." - Miranda Armstrong
The hands of Jake Nixon, Accounting major at Washington State University. This photograph has been put in black and white to show high contrast.
"My hands represent perseverance and the will to never give up on challenges." - Jake Nixon