I remember the first time my older daughter ate peas or went down a slide. I remember the first time her sister splashed in a fountain in New York City or saw a lightning bug. Seeing the expressions on their faces while experiencing something for the first time is something I will never forget. Columbus Dads Group member Aaron Sheldon felt the same way when a seemingly normal bus ride was a “first” for his son. According to Aaron, “Seeing that look of amazement on his face at something so commonplace really struck me. I realized that my son is an explorer, and the world I take for granted, to him, is an amazing place filled with new sites and experiences.” On that bus ride Aaron, a photographer, decided he wanted to document his son’s journey through the world.
A short time later Aaron and his son were at the pediatrician’s office, but his son was afraid to sit on the exam table. As they discussed what types of people would be brave enough to sit on the exam table his son asked, “What about astronauts, Dad? Are they brave enough?” Pretending to be an astronaut gave him the courage to sit on the exam table, and he wanted to dress the part next time so his dad could take his picture! From that moment Small Steps are Giant Leaps was ready for launch.
Now this father-son team has spent invaluable time together working on their photo project, documenting the astronaut’s journey all over the city. The images have been used by Target and Highlights for Children magazine, and Aaron has partnered with Wild Goose Creative for a gallery show in April 2017. In sharing Small Steps are Giant Leaps Aaron hopes to remind parents “that to our kids this is a new and exciting world just waiting to be explored.”
His next goal for the project is to fund his Kickstarter campaign, which will fund travel to complete the photo shoots for his book, costs for producing the books, and prints for his upcoming gallery show. If you’d like to support Aaron’s book, then you can find more information on his Kickstarter page.
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