In landscape photography the quality of an image relies heavily on the weather making the ability to consistently create powerful images fully dependent upon the whim of mother nature. Often, as in life, what you expect and what you get are very different things. Mother Nature is ephemeral and her whims change frequently, many times leaving you with nothing to show for your efforts. The challenge then is to create beauty with what you’ve been given.

On the day “Dawning” was created I had been up early waiting for glorious sunrise light. Instead I was greeted with heavy fog that only got heavier as the sun rose. It was quiet and I didn’t mind just sitting at the edge of the lake and take in the peace I felt. Soon enough though I was soaking wet from the moisture in the air and decided to turn it in for a hot cup of tea in town. As I walked back to my car in the mist, these trees emerged from the fog showing beauty in simple forms. The moment was not lost on me.

The dawning of an idea occurred that this is what life is made of: the unexpected moments where beauty emerges from the haze, the moments that are unexpected and end up being better than you had hoped for. The theme of trying to really live, deeply and consciously winds through my work. The theme is present here in the idea that you can experience beauty if you keep your heart open. I focus on trying to live so that each day adds to the sum of my life. These moments where you release your expectations and are greeted with something even better are moments that I cherish. These moments I know I am alive and I am most present in the dawn.