Closer to Home

When the pandemic foreclosed opportunities to travel and photograph my preferred subjects - icebergs, glaciers, mountains - I was forced to find new ones. Long daily walks around my neighborhood revealed a previously-unnoticed abundance of flora that thrive in our temperate climate, and, to my surprise, I experienced the same heart-stopping excitement that I’ve felt in the Sierras, the Tetons, Alaska. Early on, I showed some of these photos to a friend, who said they evoked vivid memories of the last weeks of her pregnancy with her older son. I was struck by that association, and began to notice that I was particularly drawn to plants that seemed, in a sense, pregnant, bursting with life. From there, it was an easy metaphorical leap to this extended period of confinement and waiting. I subsequently noticed that I seemed drawn as well to strange plants, plants that appeared slightly alien and ominous. Again, the metaphorical leap was an easy one. As the seasons changed, I simply found joy in the discoveries of each day’s walk.