There is always that one thing that reminds us of a person. A necklace given on a birthday, a crumpled letter or even something as innocuous as paperclip. When we experience the death of a loved one, it is often these small sentimental objects that bring forth either a sense of loss or great comfort. 

In a touching series entitled ‘Left Behind’, photographer Jennifer Loeber documents the objects that remind her of her late mother who passed away suddenly in February. Each object (such as lipstick or blush) is paired with a archival photo of her mother. The result is a stunning series that sheds light on the beautiful way Loeber chooses to remember her mother. On her profile she states ‘I found myself deeply overwhelmed by the need to keep even the most mundane of my mom’s belongings when she died suddenly this past February. Instead of providing comfort and good memories they became a source of deep sadness and anxiety and I knew the only way I would be able to move past that was to focus on a way to interact with them cathartically.’ Everyone deals with grief in their own ways. For Loeber, it comes from a somewhat unconventional source. She mentions that she began using Instagram and that the ‘casual aspects of sharing on the app was a way to diminish my own sentimentality towards the objects my mom left behind.’

For more of Jennifer Loeber, visit her website or lensculture profile!