The 100 Day Project #42

Birch at Sunset

Rochester, New York, 2012

The 100 Day Project, Day 42

Participating in the 100 Day Project is helping me reconnect with photographs that have been sitting in my archive for years. I’m finding so much joy in unearthing these gems; many of them I am seeing in print for the very first time.

I captured this abstracted cluster of birch trees during my first trip to Rochester. Mike had brought me "home" to meet his parents and friends. We had just finished dinner; I looked up from doing the dishes, saw the vibrant colors of the sky and rushed outside with my camera.

At the time, I was quietly searching for what came next—professionally, creatively, and personally. I was questioning what photography meant to me. After fifteen years in journalism and five years teaching at a nonprofit documentary arts program, I kept asking: What "more" is possible with a camera?

I was just beginning my graduate program in the history of photography, considering a PhD and a life as a professor. I was looking for an answer to a single question: "What else is possible for me?"

Looking back, I see this image as one of the first steps on the path to where I am today. It has been a slow process—a patient meandering, letting go of old identities and insecurities to make room for new curiosities and confidence to evolve.

We now live in Rochester, having moved here in 2020 to be close to my in-laws and help my father-in-law as he navigated advancing memory loss. We lost him just over a year ago after a full life of 90 years. Five months ago, we helped move my mother-in-law into a phenomenal independent senior living community where she is finding new community and friendship. And just three months ago, we packed up and sold the house where I first made this sunset photo—back when I was just beginning to meet the people who would become my beloved family.

The magic of photography is that you never quite know what the image will look like until you capture the scene, bringing your unique vision and artistry to it. My life has been much the same. It is often only when I’m fully in the moment that I finally see how all the pieces fit together.

About the 100 Day Project: A global creative challenge where thousands of artists share a piece of their practice every single day for 100 days. I'm joining creatives around the world, and I'm excited to bring you along. Each day I'll be sharing one of my photos — some recent, some old, and some from my current project — along with the story behind it: where I was, who I was with, and why I love it.