Places

Place hasn’t always been important to me as it is now. What has helped me develop an appreciation and a deeper sense of place has been the exposure to the outdoors, mostly on the trips that I’ve helped lead with my buddy David Buth. On those trips, I’ve been able to lead students into the backcountry of Grand Teton National Park and experience deep solitude of a tiny island in Lake Superior named Rabbit Island. The experiences with those students has taught me to appreciate where I am right at this very moment. I live in a large city and a sense of place is often difficult to find. It’s often easier to find that sense in the backcountry when you don’t have any cell service and you’re forced to be connected to the people around you. The thing that I have become more aware of, especially whenever I pray or mediate, is my breath. Finding my breath helps me to connect to wherever I currently am. I believe that joy and peace is available in almost every situation and what makes it available is the recognition of the holiness and wonder of each place. Even the most ordinary ones. This makes me want to photograph the awe of nature and the ordinary nature of a morning commute because there is something special about each of them.