The Trace

She Lost Her Sons to Shootings. She Now Carries Their Legacy

Vincent Alban

Photographer Vincent Alban’s photographs capture quiet moments of grief. A young man sitting in front of a rose-covered casket. Another young man sitting alone in a stairwell with his hands covering his face. A mother holding long-stem roses while squatting at a grave and lightly touching the gravestone. 

Other photos show family and friends of two teenage brothers who were killed by guns within a few years of each other. In some pictures, they’re gathered for a funeral, releasing balloons, or buying flowers to lay on a casket.

The photo essay spotlights the reality of survivors of gun violence, how they cope, and the “daily moments in a lifelong path of grief and endurance.”

“The photographs are intimate and patient,” one judge said. “What comes through so clearly is the years of trust the photographer has clearly earned — the rawness, the authenticity and vulnerability he captured in these images is proof. The technical quality of the photography is excellent and demonstrates the level of professionalism and time the photographer and The Trace have invested in telling the story of the impact of gun violence.” 

Read the Winning Work

She Lost Her Sons to Shootings. She Now Carries Their Legacy.