Remembering dad through photos
Because Leighton Acharya was only five weeks old when his father tragically died, he only knows who his dad is by looking at photographs.
Alekh Acharya died after crashing his car along a New Plymouth street on April 25, 2015. The 22-year-old was killed after he lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a wall. Before this collision, he had struck 67-year-old pedestrian Ronald Victor Millman, who also died at the scene.
Acharya’s partner Mez Newton said his untimely death was something she would never get over but one of the ways she keeps his memory alive with their son is through photos.
It also prompted her to think about how she could capture her own special relationship with her son, in the wake of their tragic loss.
‘‘I wanted something that was quite meaningful.’’
Newton then thought of awardwinning Taranaki photographer Tania Niwa, who had previously shared her story about how her own career was inspired by her father’s love of the craft.
Niwa said her father only ever had one photograph of his mother, who died when he was eight years old and it was the powerful memories which are evoked through images which was behind her love of family portraiture.
This idea really resonated with Newton, who reached out to Niwa with her idea to get a series of photographs taken of her and Leighton.
Newton said the images Niwa captured were special and will eventually take pride of place on the walls of her home in Hamilton, after her recent move there from Taranaki.
‘‘She wanted to capture the sadness, the power of getting over the grief and the happiness I have with my son,’’ Newton said.
She described Acharya’s death as a ‘‘very extreme situation.’’
‘‘You don’t get over it. You kind of learn to live with it,’’ she said.
Along with photos, talking to Leighton about his father was also something she and her wha¯ nau did everyday.
Newton said Acharya referred to himself as a dad once he found out she was pregnant and was proud of becoming a father.
‘‘He made sure everyone knew that.’’