feeling nature (Patreon)

I've always felt a connection with nature. Today I really felt it, the sun on the skin through my window, as i picked up Terry Tempest Williams' book, The Hour of Land, her collection of words on national parks, I remembered what I love: being outside, naked, in the sunlight and moonlight, against immense, beautiful backdrops of mother earth. I hope to raise enough money soon so that I may pursue a newfound dream: to visit every national park (first in the US and later the world) and photograph myself naked in every location.

This series of myself on the sea was taken in July 2015, on an island in my hometown, Manchester-by-the-Sea, on the north shore of Boston, MA. Although I do love the contrast of far away nudes versus closer up, I only used to take my photos from a distance. This was partially to honor the landscape and also to show our size in comparison to the immense earth. Sadly though, part of this method was to avoid looking closely at my body because of self-hatred. I didn't want to face any imperfections that may be revealed with an up close photograph. I can justify this framing all day with why I believe that we shouldn't be the focus of an image, allowing nature to represent its omnipresence, however I'm finally in a place to admit the truth, that part of this framing stemmed from a body image complex. Now I appreciate both for the inherent contrast and conversation around human nature and our relationships therein, rocks, trees, oceans, humans, all interconnected and related, constantly impacting one another. 

Time is so interesting.