the delicate balance between
his busy work schedule and
his desire to be home as
much as possible. Originally
Kukucska would embark on
his photography excursions
after the sun went down and
his kids had gone to bed, but
now they explore, plan and
create together, and he loves
enjoying the world through
their eyes as much as his own.
Kukucska recounts:
“I have the good fortune of
having three kids with a sense
of adventure who don’t mind
staying up late. It also helps
that we stock up on plenty of
junk food at a gas station on
Mike Kukucska - mkimage.ca
the way to wherever we are
going–I have a ‘no questions
asked’ policy on whatever
they pick out.
“I find that I only take one
of my kids out at a time,
depending on what they have
on the go and how they are
feeling, and that’s just fine
with me as we have some
really wonderful one-on-
one time together. Even the
drive to where we are going
reveals conversations we
would normally never have
during the stress of a busy
day, darting from one place
to another.
“I always head out with a
master plan in mind, with a
clear understanding that it
will change as my kids add
their creativity and energy
to our outings. Their minds
are wide open and they see
things in such a unique way,
that they have taught me
to be a kid again–not that I
have ever really grown up,
and I hope that I never will. I
will miss them terribly when
they get older and move
out, and I can only hope
that grandkids will be in my
future so that I can keep this
wonderful tradition alive.”
Kukucska has spent
countless nights exploring