Ladini Conder presents, "Childhood's End."

Childhood’s End is a series of typologies of the natural world that allow me to explore the psychological and emotional impact of growing up. This body of work points to two underlying themes: the illusion of time’s linear progression and our universal experience of conflict, compromise and change.

The series combines dark seascape images, bursts of clouds, botanical specimens and other images of the natural world. The combination of these elements—water, earth, oxygen, hydrogen—and their co-dependent relationship to the moon point to the interconnectedness of life and more personally my relationship to my daughter and my own childhood. While there is a darkness that underpins everything about this project, the absence of light alludes to a sense of duality, a feeling of contradiction in the intermingling of light and dark, birth and death, beginning and end—suggestive of the cyclic nature of our existence. 

The ocean is a place that seems outside of human time where our primordial ancestors first crawled ashore, a place of eternal change where the depths appear unfathomable. As twilight begins and my daughter leaves behind her childhood I feel an inescapable sense of our inevitable mortality. Childhood’s End resides in the ephemeral, between life, growth, decay and death, an earthly realm where time waits for no one.

Sharon Johnson-Tennant presents, "Diffusion II"

In her series Diffusion II, Sharon Johnson-Tennant spent three weeks exploring the medinas and back alleys of Morocco by night. By utilizing low light and panning with her camera, Sharon pushed herself to create images that are intentionally soft and impressionistic, exploring how abstraction and texture can evoke a sense of timelessness and intrigue.

For more of Sharon's work please go to https://www.facebook.com/SharonJohnsonTennantPhotography/

Elisa Haber presents "Twins"

Twins. The closest bond between any two, three or four or....human beings. An article written in The New York Times in 2010, 10 years after the Twin Towers fell, sadly sparked my interest in twins. The article talked about how of the 2,976 people who died, 43 became twin less. Twins talked about losing their mates and how their recovery was what theybelieved more painful than others who had lost a loved one. In a few situations, the widowed husband or wife ended up marrying the twin, which helped them both heal in the grieving process.

I discovered through another set of twins I had previously photographed, that they attended a twin’s event in Twinsburg, Ohio. I set out in the summer of 2016 to photograph twins from all over the world, from every background, social and economic walk of life. Having spent time with the twins you cannot help but witness the undeniable closeness, in this instance identical twins.

 

 They literally followed each other sentences, laughed the same, but it was much more than this, you felt the love and bond in immense proportions, more so then just your average sibling relationship. Many of these twins didn’t live in great distance of each other, and if they did they were connected every day via phone or writing.  Having a connection with people who I photograph is the core to my photography. I hope to convey this with my series onTwins, which I will continue to photograph in the coming year.

To see more of Elisa's photography,  http://haberphoto.com/

Steve Englemann presents "Man Akin"

The inhumanity of humanity. For thousands of years, humans have altered the natural landscape to make the planet more comfortable for civilization. The scale of these changes has increased exponentially. Rivers have been engineered, mountains tops have been removed, the atmosphere has been altered. The world population exceeding 7 billion is a testament to the success of our efforts.

Ironically, the long-term impact on ecosystem services such as water purification, soil development and food production have rendered the planet less hospitable for the continued growth of future generations. The chemistry of the oceans and atmosphere has changed, sea levels are rising, and forests continue to fall to agriculture and urban sprawl. How will we fair in an increasingly unpredictable climate?

Having taught environmental science for almost three decades, it is difficult not to feel overwhelmed by the growing number of stressors on our environment. While trying to stay hopeful, a more serious conversation is necessary. Man Akin is a visual exploration of the hand of humankind. The series is being offered as a point of contemplation. The survival of the planet is not at question. The question is humanity.

To see more of Steve's work http://steveengelmannphotography.com/

Beth Dubber presents "Persona"

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I am fascinated by people who spend their time, money, energy and lives in pursuit of being a someone else-someone heightened by costume, make-up and gesture, someone willing to make a fool of themselves and become a clown. 

Many images of clowns have been of sad, scary, or evil clowns. This was in direct opposition to all of the clowns I had met. These people were vibrant, excitable, happy, loved taking a skit to the fullest extent. With my project, Persona, I intend to show a range of contemporary clowns combined with audio interviews, to give the viewer insight into this surreal world. 

On the subject of clowns, Marcel Marceau once said, “The most important thing is your face, you have to have a good face. It does not have to be a beautiful face, but it has to be an expressive face. And you have to let your face do the thinking”. Upon reading this, I knew I wanted to photograph only the face of a persona. I hope to capture the essence in the face and eyes, as Marceau describes.

For more of Beth's work, please go to  http://bethdubber.com/

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Sally Ann Field presents "Punch Bug"

As a child, the Volkswagen Beetle represented more that an unusually shaped car. It was the genesis of a backseat car game where my siblings and I would punch each other on the arm upon first sight of a Volkswagen Beetle while shouting out “Punch Bug!” in reference to the Beetle’s nickname, the Bug. My love affair continued throughout my teens and in 1984, a gently loved white ‘74 Bug became my first set of wheels.

It’s been many decades since I’ve owned a Beetle, but every single time I see a classic Bug on the road my heart skips a beat. 

With my series, Punch Bug, I decided to pay tribute to these round relics with environmental portraits captured on road trips across the U.S. Just like when I was a child, this photographic project has become a fun game and is all about the thrill of the hunt. These days when I shout out “Punch Bug!” I have no time to punch because I’m too busy reaching for my camera.

To see more of Sally's work click http://www.sallyannfield.com/

Charley Star presents "The Liminal Summer

Off the coast of North Carolina is a small island my family has been going to for four generations. It is where I feel most rooted and has become an iconic symbol of my childhood, and synonymous with summertime for our family.

The Liminal Summer imagines a world unhinged from the realities of space and time—it plays in the borders of a metaphysical dreamscape. I wanted to explore the idea of childhood being a liminal state where the veil between the spirit and natural worlds are lifted, in communion with one another.

In some ways, it’s about the possibility that there is more to this physical world than meets the eye, and that perhaps on the other side of some invisible threshold, there is a liminal space where all is possible. But mostly? Mostly, it has become my love letter to my children.

This is the world I wish they – and I – could live in. This is The Liminal Summer.

To see more work by Charley Star, please go to http://www.charleystar.com/