Embracing the Unpredictable

In a world craving certainty and order, Embracing the Unpredictable is a photography series in which I blend the uneven flow of ocean tides with the fragile intricacies of human experience. Combining newly captured and found photographs, I reveal fragmented glimpses of the vulnerable, offering a perspective on human pain and emotion that is both beautiful and soothing.

Having experienced childhood physical and emotional trauma, the past often called for debate: shouldn’t it have been different, easier, more lighthearted? No, for it was through healing from trauma that I grasped life’s most significant lessons: to accept events as facts without judgement or blame, to forgive my involvement with hard relationships, and most importantly, to develop greater empathy for my fellow humans.

At some point, each of us will experience deeply painful moments that strike without warning. The death of a family member, addiction, marriage dissolution, or medical challenges will instantly change lives, leaving many with a sense of “before” and “after”. Through this series, I honor those who emerge from trauma’s stormy seas with new resilience, courage, and ability to accept the easy and the hard in equal measure.

My images in Embracing the Unpredictable are a fusion of landscape photos taken along Puget Sound, an inlet in Washington State, and found photos of individuals at a profound life turning point. Using a slow shutter speed, the landscape images convey the Sound’s tranquil yet potent energy; slivers have been shifted to depict the inconsistency of its tidal rhythms. We as humans are woven into this metaphoric, tidal symphony, entwined in a complex relationship with ourselves and the world around us. Will we move in harmony with it, fostering deeper love and adaptability, or resist its currents with anger and fear? Through this series, I speak to the peace that washes over us when we surrender our preconceptions and gracefully flow with the changeable waters of life.