I create art rooted in nature as an act of reverence, an intentional pause in a fast, distracted world. Through light, texture, and stillness, I honor the quiet resilience of wild places and the fleeting beauty we often overlook. My work is both gratitude and witness, a way of saying thank you to the land, water, and life that sustain us, while reminding us that we belong to this world, not apart from it.

Writers like Walt Whitman, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and John Keats shape my work through their reverence for nature. Whitman’s expansiveness, Rawlings’ grounded Florida landscapes, Emerson’s spiritual connection to the natural world, and Keats’ devotion to beauty and fleeting moments guide how I see, feel, and create.

If I were to receive winnings, I would donate half to the Periodic Paralysis Association; a cause deeply personal to me as someone living with this rare disease. Supporting their work in awareness, education, and research is a way to give back to a community that matters to me. The remaining funds would be used to invest in a new lens, allowing me to continue creating and sharing the natural world through my photography.