For me, photography is just as much about the emotional process involved in creating images as it is about the images themselves. It is meaningful to me when I make collections of images that are purposeful and tell a story. I strive to tell tales that are universal in nature and then enlivened with my own personal experience.

Over the last several months my 90 year old mom has been going through a lot of change due to an illness. With her illness came the need for her to move to an assisted living arrangement. Fortunatly, she is doing well and recuperating quite nicely.

My sister bears the lion’s share of my mom’s care. But during this period of time I was able to spend several weeks in Virginia helping her with the transition and care of our mother.

Having been absorbed in this process, it came as no surprise to me that upon my return  to Portland, I began to immerse myself in nature. I intuitively engaged in a search for organic matter that reflects transition. At first I simply walked and took shots with my iPhone but when I saw the images on the screen of my phone I was astonished.  After glimpsing the wealth of beauty in plain sight beneath my feet, I got serious and brought out my big camera and tripod. No doubt the transition between fall and winter can be dreary, cold, slushy and muddy. But within this messy muck I found beauty, grace and an unexpected strength of form. With that I experienced a peace and knowing within myself.

Having an experience wherein real life and nature collide in perfect timing, as it tends to do, is such a comfort. It adds a depth of understanding that speaks to the soul.

During spring leaves soak up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, converting gas into organic carbon compounds. As autumn arrives, trees drop their leaves and they decompose in the soil. As time passes, the decaying leaves release carbon back into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. Decaying leaves is a wonderful source of carbon that balances nitrogen in our gardens.

When we search for beauty and new beginnings within what appears to be simply a messy process of entropy, we will certainly find it….hiding in plain sight.

 Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.

~ Albert Einstein