A Still Life, Three Landscapes, and a Vibe
The stories of some of my favorite photographs
It’s almost the end of January and it feels a bit late for a 2023 recap. So rather than share my favorite images from 2023, I thought I would share some of my all-time favorite images and the stories of how they happened. It’s tough to choose favorites when you’ve taken thousands of images throughout the years but here goes. BTW, all of these photos are for sale just click on the photo caption to visit my shop.
A Still Life Photo with A Lot of Meaning
The image above is the first in a series I called The Things We Leave Behind. It’s a very personal series of still life photos that I created using things my mom left me when she died. Throughout her life, she collected many beautiful objects such as pottery, jewelry, and trinkets from her travels. Creating these photographs, gathering and arranging the objects, sometimes for hours, became one of the ways I processed my grief. You can see all of the images here.
From another series: Into The Ocean
While watching TV one night I identified a California beach pier in a car commercial. Each pier is different and I realized that by paying attention to the details of how they were constructed I could tell them apart. That moment lead me to this project where I mapped out and photographed California ocean piers. You can see the entire collection here. The image above is one of my favorites in the series. This is Crystal Pier looking towards Pacific Beach and it was taken the day after a rain storm which is why I was lucky (and very excited) to get clouds in the shot. An interesting fact about this pier: it has vacation cottages for rent on the pier!
A Courageous Road Trip
During COVID I was inspired to travel and visit some of the places that had been on my list in Colorado. I did a lot of research to find dog friendly locations and places to stay and Bodhi and I took a road trip. The image above was our first stop: Colorado National Monument. Driving up and over the Rocky Mountains in April was kind of scary. I encountered every kind of weather including sleet and snow but what a relief it was to get to the other side and experience this beautiful scenery. And pretty puffy clouds in the sky? Yes, please!
An Epic Adventure
Oh, Scotland, you are amazing! In May of 2023 my friend Alicia and I went to Iceland and Scotland. The image above is from one of my favorite places: St. Ninian’s Beach in Shetland. It was very windy and cold when we visited but we were gifted with a bit of blue sky on the beach. As I sat on a bench and took it all in, I could see where the sand was being blown into the water and making spray patterns that looked like little fireworks. I still have lots of photos to edit from that trip but you can see the growing collection in my shop. Shetland is magical and I can’t wait to go back!
A Vibe
In Encinitas, California, there are two street signs with surfers—one man, one woman. This sign, for me, is the ultimate Southern California vibe. It’s on a street near Moonlight Beach at the bottom of a hill where you can look over the beach. I can just feel the sunshine and smell the ocean every time I look at this. This is a 35mm film photo, taken with my mom’s Nikon, which I still use whenever I need a creative boost.
What do you like to shoot?
One of the questions I struggle with answering is what kind of photography do I shoot. The answer is, it depends. There are different joys to different kinds of work; the mindful arranging of still life, the awe of landscape, the fun of travel. I like it all! This varied list is just a tiny sample of my favorites. One thing they have in common is they involve a special memory or a story. More than being a certain type of photographer, for me it’s about sharing the experience and the beauty of whatever I am seeing.
Thank you for reading Photographs and Stories! If you enjoy my work, here’s a link to where you can shop my images. You can also contribute to what I’m creating by getting a paid subscription (button below).
PS: I’m working on something really cool for paid subscribers. It’s called The Book Report and it’s a continuously growing list of book reviews, interesting classes, and other resource recommendations. Upgrade your subscription to get access as soon as it launches!
Ana, this is a beautiful collection of images! I love hearing how each came about and are part of a larger project. You've inspired me to share some of my collections in the next year!
Also, I need to find that Surfer Girl sign! Encinitas is on the shortlist for our next move and we go there often. We took our Goddaughter on a surf trip there for her 16th bday last year.
I am absolutely in awe with the first series. Such a wonderful way to honor your mom and the things she collected and to cope with your loss. The photos are beautiful! Would be worth sharing them in their very own post!