CONCEPT: REFLECT

Sometimes what wants to come out of the compost is an idea that got left behind.

In March of 2020, I had a photo shoot planned that got canceled by the pandemic. The idea was to make images that felt inspired by light and the sun. The shoot was scheduled, travel booked, and props purchased…and then we all know what happened.

And still this idea will not let me go, almost like I can’t move on until I bring it to life.

It shows up in my journals, in visualizations where I imagine the world at magic hour and then realize that I am the golden light, I am the energy that gets to make the world look lovely, that gets to see and highlight the magic in the mundane. It isn’t a feeling of power, but of collaboration, where just the right angle of light transforms a tree or an animal or person or scene from something ordinary into magnificence, taking what is already there and simply letting it be touched by warmth and appreciation, letting it be seen.

When I imagine what it looks like to make this idea as photos, lately it’s taking the form of reflected light – faces with glitter or rainbows, disco balls, sequined clothing, metallic streamers – and movement, watching how the light changes, how it illuminates, how it brings out the energy of life.

It’s not lost on me that this is a metaphor for the work of being a photographer, but it’s also part of a deeper purpose I’m trying to uncover: that it’s not my job to fix or solve or take on the burdens of other people (on an individual level – working for better systems for everyone is something I hope we’re all working toward), and that I’d rather be a reflector, a mirror. That really all a mirror does is send light back so that we can more clearly see ourselves and be open to accepting all of the magic within.