My photographs are about experiencing and engaging with nature, instead of simply observing it. “Nature” is such an abstract concept it can be hard to grasp on a personal level. We can often feel isolated from it, as if merely observers. But when I take an individual leaf and hold it in my hand, nature becomes tangible and real. No longer separate, I become aware of our connection and relationship. I create my art to experience the natural world on this personal and more human scale; and to illustrate that we are not outside of nature, but an intimate part of it. Whenever I take a walk through the streets and parks around my suburban home, I habitually collect the “scraps” of nature I find in my path — the leaves, sticks, flowers, or seeds that have broken and fallen to the ground. Back in my studio, I carefully explore these objects with my camera, letting their unique textures and patterns guide my hand. My photographs reveal the character, complexity, and subtlety buried deep within in these forgotten fragments of nature.