Homework saved me during the pandemic. I signed up for a photography class after years of longing and two decades of raising children, guiding Girl Scouts, and serving on non-profit boards. Finally, I had a moment to myself.

The pandemic shut down everything after two lessons, but Zoom kept us going, and homework provided a lifeline during this dark time. I’m lucky to live in a town abounding with fields, wetlands, and woodlands. Escaping the near constant anxiety of Covid and social unrest, I explored my local terrain, discovering the joy of sunrise as a life-long night owl, capturing the way a root draped over a boulder, and marveling at Spring’s emergence while the world woke up from its long winter. That class started my journey toward Hidden Treasure.

Whenever I set out to photograph, I embark on a walking meditation. I am completely in the moment as I inhale and listen, inviting some sight to call me. Venturing into brambles or wading into water’s edge, I frame the shot while holding some impossible pose, scrambling to get my tripod supports in place. Back in the studio, Lightroom is useful for fine-tuning, but I shy away from making hyperreal images. Instead, I aim to create a sense of that place and maybe inspire a longing to be somewhere that you, too, can find if you set out for a meander. Sometimes the single image is enough. At others, I use multiple panels to create a more expanded view of place. An occasional figure in the frame invites you to imagine yourself there.

In all my work about nature, my intention is to share those moments of peace I find in the hidden treasures and quiet beauty of New England’s landscape, offering respite from our anxious times.