The project that called to me in 2026 was a study of shadows—their depth, their movement, their patterns.
I set out to explore portraiture in less-than-ideal lighting. For me, that meant harsh, direct sun. Backlight. Uneven light. Light that cuts across a subject instead of wrapping gently around them. At times, it meant working with far less light than I would normally choose.
Throughout the series, I intentionally stepped away from the kind of light I instinctively gravitate toward. Still, I wove in a few images created in that familiar, softer light - small moments of contrast that highlight the difference in how ambient light can shape a subject.
Each session was captured in monochrome. Stripping away color allowed me to focus more fully on the relationship between highlights and shadows - on shape, depth, and feeling over distraction.
Somewhere along the way, this stopped being about difficult light and started becoming about creativity, bringing variety into my work, and trusting what I see. It shifted how I approach light entirely, and that change will carry into everything I create next.
