I find comfort in the slow tidal rhythm of making things. The opportunity to put something down and come back to it after a period of forgetting is a process I cherish.
The images in the post are of the swamps surrounding my childhood home. The house is on a half-acre dry patch of land in Upstate, NY, however, if you walk a short distance in any direction you’ll end up in a marshy forest ecosystem, continually reshaped by a thriving beaver community.
Of course, this is what I photographed when I was given a camera back in 1998 or so. I was already spending much of my free time wandering the forest, making forts, collecting fungi, etc. I had little exposure to art, aside from local folk art and the few artists my mom shared with me; Imogen Cunningham, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Ansel Adams. Those artists certainly had an influence on me, but I generally felt unencumbered by inspiration. The swampy woods provided a beautiful escape, but what I loved the most was that I’d completely disappear with a camera placed between myself and my surroundings.
Really love the caterpillar : )
God I love these pictures so much ❤️