Shadow and Larch

The duality of darkness and light is what I wanted to portray in this project. One cannot exist without the other, and I am drawn to the way that plays out with humans as well. We all have the capacity for good and bad within us, and we also can feel complex emotions that often conflict with one another.

As someone who has anxiety, I am learning that it is okay to feel the darkness and light at the same time. Photography and hiking are my passions that help me find balance and happiness, but there are also darker aspects to each pursuit. While they both primarily give me joy, often I find myself going down paths of comparison and self-doubt. 

Larches have found a way to endure the darkness. Their verdant needles transform into golden hues in the fall in order to save energy during the cold winter months. While stopping to eat a lakeside lunch on a hike with my husband last fall, I was drawn to the way the larches along the shore were being lit from behind. It created a stark contrast that highlighted the trees and showed off the shapes and forms of these resilient trees.

 

Sweet Sorrow

Sweet Sorrow

 

Alone Together

 

Cheerful Pessimist
 

Static Flow