Artist's Statement
I take photographs to capture a moment, honor a memory, to record what I love about this world and mourn what I have lost. To tell a story, to remember it and hold it close. To honor the beauty and wildness in the world around me while there is still wildness left.
Horses, wild and domestic, have always been my greatest passion and inspiration and I see myself continuing to do the kind of work that allows me share their beauty in a way that connects with people. Because they are both creative pursuits, photography and writing complement each other well. I find the blending of prose and imagery the ideal combination of the very heart of the work I aspire to do – a reflection of who I am as a person and who I want to become as a writer and photographer.
I had always thought of myself first and foremost as an artist. I loved to draw and paint and was into photography by the time I was seven. At the age of ten, I was the recipient of a Kodak Award for a picture I had taken of a newborn foal in a field of buttercups.
Fast forward to the fall of 2017, I was inspired by a day trip near Mesa, Arizona when I set out to photograph wild horses at the Salt River Water Basin. I wanted some nice pictures - I ended up learning something about wild horses and myself in the process. As I wrote a short essay about the experience for my Nature Writing Class at UWS, I realized I wanted to do more of this – needed to do more of this.
Creative nonfiction is a versatile genre and I find the blending of prose and imagery the perfect combination and am excited to incorporate photography into my writing. I feel this adds a tactile quality that lends additional dimension and meaning to my work.
