Audrey and Green Bunny, 2013
Washington-based photographer Anna Ream has captured poignant portraits of children holding their cherished toys and blankets for her series ‘Comfort Objects’.
Known as “transitional objects” in developmental psychology, they act as substitutes for the mother-child bond, and are a source of emotional security for children.
“While I did not have a comfort object as a child, my three children have each had one. Like many parents, I’ve hunted for it at bedtime, sent it along when leaving a child in another person’s care, and carefully packed it on trips. It is a conduit for meeting their emotional and psychological needs,” said Ream about the inspiration behind her project.
For her series, she captured portraits of her own children as well as children of friends and strangers.
View some of her portraits below.
Eowyn and Ginger, 2013
Jayden, Monkeys and Blanket, 2014
Bryn and Bunnie with Natalie and Piggy, 2013
Graydon and Doggy, 2013
Hudson and Silky, 2013
Kaidence and Zebra Blanky, 2013
[via PetaPixel and Lens Scratch, images via Anna Ream]