Rejoice in the little children

Timm -- who looked back on his own childhood with a wistful eye -- was a great photographer of kids, as evidenced from the series below. They were taken in two shoots, one in March of this year and the other on the weekend before his death on April 18. Spring days in the park with the kids: these images shout exuberance and warmth and family nurture. I'm sure they were for a commercial job or two, but they cannot help bouqet Timm's fondness for the world captured in a child's open, happy gaze. Wounded healers give back -- in plenty -- exactly what they need most.

Note: this last picture is out of the family archives, from a vacation we went on in 1967 or so. Timm, at the far right, is about 5 years old here. As I recall, we were striking a "cool" pose for the camera -- note the jaunty posture of Molly and me (next to Timm). Timm thought striking that pose so hilarious he couldn't help giggling as our mother took the picture. In his work, it would seem that Timm always forsook the cool for the heartfelt pose.