As I explore the natural world through my camera, I find that my photography has strong parallels to my vocation as a psychotherapist. One art is aligned with the other.
As a therapist I support my clients as they navigate the vicissitudes of experience, and as a photographer I bring a similar sense of respect as I capture the astonishing variations of life and interconnectedness in the natural world.
I love looking at the familiar in new ways, and using my imagination to disrupt “normal”… to create new terrain.
In both realms, I think that using a “third eye” has the potential for sparking joy, bearing empathic witness to adversity, and perhaps even creating a deeper appreciation for the cycle of life.
— Ellen Sanford
**All photographs copyright Ellen Sanford 2020**
New Terrain
Springtime Grace Undersea Dreams Yearning The invisible enemy is a virus Delicacy Victorious after a challenge Reaching out Sorrow and hope A time to dance Surrounded by future generations Enchanted forest Missing friends and social connections Passages near the end of life Floating Power struggle Conflict Swimming through enchanted waters Imagining other worlds A mother with her (thousands of) offspring Unusual terrain From birth, we seek connection Missing a loved one who’s only with us in spirit North woods tableau A time of memories and reflection New life carried forth, silently surrounding us Whirling dervish Cathedral A garden of broken dreaams Keeping the promise Paying attention to nature’s mysteries Dance Grand dames cavorting Gently billowing Time to unfurl and sing Jazz Strength and focus Loyal friends surround a wounded soul A dance of procreation Elegance, personified Pssst! Pass it on! North woods majesty Some stay quarantined longer than others Girl power Unbearable grief The belle of the ball I don’t understand my native land any more Delphine’s garden Blossoming into womanhood Too many riches to count Calling to neighbors