12/11/2021
“Homecoming”
A new series I’ve been slowly releasing.
This series is a lot different than my regular work, but it’s very special to me. Y’all might know me for my portraits, but I actually started out as a nature photographer! For those who don’t know, I grew up on the Outer Banks and began my photography journey as a nature photographer. Being surrounded by so many diverse landscapes and animals, I had a never ending supply of subjects and inspiration. This series is my way of paying homage to my origin. It’s meant to visually emulate those hazy and surreal memories of when I got my first camera as a child. The series is on-going as I only add to it when I visit home.
I can honestly say that growing up on the Outer Banks was like growing up on a different planet. Sometimes I miss it, but it never feels the same when I go back. It’s like seeing your childhood best friend in public for the first time in over a decade. The familiarity is there, but the connection is strained from time and distance.
I never took that place for granted, but I certainly rejected her to cope with the shock of moving to Wilmington alone at 18. I thought the more I’d say “yeah it was cool to grow up there, but there’s nothing to do,” the more I’d emotionally distance myself from it. I wouldn’t be able to have the career I do today if I’d have stayed, but the nostalgia hits hard and often makes me lose sight of that fact. This series is meant to help me reconnect with my roots; to take me back to the most magical moments of my childhood. The every day stuff that I thought was normal everywhere. Through this series, I can explore my favorite spots and establish a stronger relationship with the landscapes that raised me. I’ll be selling these prints locally this spring (hopefully at a pop up) so stay tuned!