Amber Solow - September 2016

I grew up in the lovely driftless area of the Wisconsin countryside and have been taking pictures since childhood. But photography took on a whole new level for me when I discovered the magic of the darkroom in college. I was hooked, and haven’t been able to put my camera down for very long since then. As a city dweller now, my appreciation for wild spots has only grown. And in a time when those in power seem to have little regard for the value of these areas, I feel the need to see all I can while it’s still beautiful. These slivers in time that I capture with my camera will never be repeated, and the creatures and spirits that inhabit the land are everchanging. All but one of these Guardians, my first, live right here in Wisconsin.

I have always been inspired and energized by the infinite power and beauty of nature. It has at times made me feel small and insignificant, which can be a very humbling experience. But it has also given me many moments in which I recognize that I am simply a form of energy, intertwined and connected to the rest of the universe. Humankind has a way of setting ourselves apart, and above the natural world. It is in this blindness that such destruction can be done to our own home in the name of progress. But such brutal force cannot go forever unchallenged and Mother Nature has her ways of fighting back. I’ve been seeing her warriors, her Guardians that are preparing themselves to defend this world. Long after we’re gone, she will carry on.