Merry Christmas

In Times Like These

Even lighting a candle seems
an act of radical faith,
the blackened wick reaching
like a root for the flame
that will both nourish
and diminish it. Yet we keep
the old rituals alive, let
this flickering speak, knowing
nothing can quiet the voices
of those we’ve lost, those
taken by violence and hate.
A single gesture of love is 
such a delicate, durable thing—
snowflake dissolving as soon
as it meets the skin, 
though the body will always
remember its shape.
—James Crews

Things To Start With

This notebook is really just a physical manifestation of all my favorite things about life, in one place. Pages full of practical and magical things that make me happiest in the world. There is a quiet confidence in taking pictures so simple that hold such promise. And this confidence is mine, hard-earned. These pictures are about finding joy and satisfaction in noticing tiny miracles.

Something from Nothing

“I cried very hard, of course—never had I considered that someone might interpret my affinity for practicality as creativity.”

—Alison Roman, Something from Nothing

This quote speaks to me because I am a practical person, and I see the practice of photography as a valuable tool to counter stress, anxiety and overwhelm. The fact that the work is a creative expression is a beautiful surprise. I see this practical nature in most every aspect of my life, and especially in my photography. Cutting elements from a scene works better for me than adding elements. Fewer choices liberates me rather than restricts me. I prefer to use what I have in terms of gear and get outside every day to see what I might see. I walk slower and stare longer these days; I am seldom in a hurry. And when inspiration wanes (as it always eventually does), I go somewhere new with my camera or try something different to spice things up. I thrive on routine AND novelty. (Maybe this is true for most of us.) My progress is quiet. I have enough and I am enough.