An open letter to the viewers:

I want you to understand what it means to drift.

There is a residual movement found in stillness. Though we may stiffen our muscles and try to control ourselves, nature’s elements continue to move us from one place to the next. The pull of the tide, the push of the wind, or even the Earth itself spins us through the universe.

We can try to be still in a moment, slow down life, and hold on to it with all our might, but time continues to trek around us. And forces like death, well they run on their own clock. People try to ground, tether, and steady themselves in this whirlwind of a journey. However, life cannot be constrained, nor are we ever really prepared for what the next moment will bring.  

Drifting can be peaceful and welcomed; other times it may leave us feeling like we’ve been tumbling through waves crashing against a cliff side. Welcomed or not, movement is a product of life and a reminder to live.

Sincerely,

Kirstin Meza

P.S. Numinous is defined as a “feeling of both fear and awe by what is before you”¹. This series will explore how we react to pivotal moments in our life where the need to freeze time and wrap ourselves in silence is so great that we leave our bodies and become an observer to our own stories for just a moment. As you come along on my journey, let it guide you into your own introspective experience.

¹Sonja “42 Inspiring Travel Words (Besides Wanderlust)” Migrating Miss(blog), March 25, 2021, https://www.migratingmiss.com/24-unusual-travel-words-you-should-know/.

It is quite clear and obvious that perspective is a very important aspect of photography. However, in this series, I didn’t want to just provide solely a unique perspective, I wanted to warp it, twist it, and manipulate how we normally see the world. A goal of mine was to create a visual puzzle for my audience. I didn’t want them to glance at my piece and then move on, but to have to take a second look when they realized that something wasn’t quite right. An inspiration behind this collection is M.C. Escher and the way some of his drawings show places that aren’t physically possible. 

By using my personal drone, I was able to capture aerial images of distinctive landscapes that display geometric leading lines throughout the piece. From there, I took a photo of the same location, but from a much lower angle. Then, using Adobe Photoshop, I was able to merge the two images into one, thus creating a world inside the picture that warps reality.

I have struggled with depression since high school. The way depression works for me is that the world seems like it is crashing down and there is no way out and that there is no one there. It feels like you are all alone. Sometimes we need a reminder that we are not alone. With my photography, I want people to see that the world will not crash down around them and they are not alone. One thing that helps me, is to pick up my camera and take some personal time and go to the park to take pictures. Another thing that helps me is to edit my photographs. Editing photographs allows me to take the beauty of nature and turn it into something even more beautiful. Doing these two things, helps me see that the world is not as dark as it seems. 

Selective color is the process of singling out one color and making everything else black and white. But every color evokes a different emotion. So, the warm colors, like red, orange, and yellow makes you feel energized and happy. The colors on the cooler side are green, blue, and purple. These colors usually make a person feel sad. What do you feel while looking at these photographs?