Track of Hurricane Isabel 16"x20"

"In 2003, Hurricane Isabel devastated a section of this Chesapeake Bay coast line. The familiar bowers and shaded places in which I rested disappeared. It has taken 5 years for this beach to start to resemble its old self. There will be remnants for years to come. The oak that lived for three years on its side, half submerged, its roots still anchored into the cliff, has finally died. It will disappear into the water as the years pass. I could not help but be moved by the sights that greeted me that post-storm morning when I hiked into the park. It was a living tangible reminder of the impermanence and strength of living things. These images come out of my exploration of this change and rebirth


I come to photography with a painter’s training and my concern is always composition and color. The myriad grays of a silver gelatin or giclée print hold a richness and clarity that reveals, to me, a truth about what I see that I can’t find using color photography or paint. The threefold process of exploring the natural world, unraveling the Mystery to be discovered, and the crafting of those images are often the highlights of my artistic experience."
Laura Vernon Russell