Loos’d of Limits

“From this hour I ordain myself loos’d of limits and imaginary lines,
Going where I list, my own master total and absolute,
Listening to others, considering well what they say,
Pausing, searching, receiving, contemplating,
Gently,but with undeniable will, divesting myself of the holds that would hold me.
I inhale great draughts of space,
The east and the west are mine, and the north and the south are mine.”

     Many who know me know the heart of my work lies in landscape work and black and white film.  It is what kept a camera in my hand for years.  There is a life and soul to it that makes me able to breathe deeper, centers me, and inspires me all at once.   I spent a great deal of the last few weeks “off the grid” with a gear pack on my back, alone and happily lost in the mountains that I love so dearly.  I know it drives some of my loved ones bonkers when I disappear (In my defense I always give them a time at which they should send out a search party if I don’t return).   I feel more myself out there in the silence, in the solitude, with dirt covered boots and the smell of pines and moss in the air.  In recent years, there has been little time in my life to do the things I love, or be that wild hearted girl running through the mountains and off on adventures like I used to. That’s ok though. I know there is a season to everything. Right now it is the season of being mama bear instead of free bird. I’m so thankful for the time I was given recently to find that girl again. The one who was always chasing the sun, waves, and moments of hope and love. She is still in there, and a mountain sunset or foggy beach morning still make her giddy, She still loves fiercely, and she still believes that there is a reason for it all. She is just a little tougher, a little sadder, and a little more realistic these days.  The tides are shifting, much awaited changes are coming, and until then I settle for moments like these.

All images shot with Canon 24mm. 1.4 L II or Canon 35mm 1.4 L lens.   Medium format 120 film shots coming soon!

     My friend Kim joined me for one of my adventures last week and she snapped some shots of me that I adore. I rarely end up on that side of the camera and it was fun to see her perspective.