L.A. Photo Curator: Global Photography Awards - 'Where Photography & Philanthropy Meet' : 21 Women Photographers

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21 Women Photographers

21 WOMEN PHOTOGRAPHERS: LIFE'S WORK, 2024

Visual artist Susan Kaufer Carey recently posted on Facebook the following quote by painter Isabella Ducrot, "I think life, for women, begins at 60. Because then we begin to be free."

Such an interesting idea. The comments that followed the post ranged from many 'likes' to responses saying that life begins at 40, 50, 55, 80 and 100.

As I pondered that idea I remembered a call I juried for L.A. Photo Curator years ago-titled "Life's Work.'' I was captivated by this theme then, and it continues to resonate with me as my evolving perspective shapes my own work.

Themes of family and portraiture have always been central to my life. In the late 1970s, I captured the world through a Nikkormat camera, shooting with Tri-X and Kodacolor film. When I left home and spent five months living on the road, I discovered the pure joy of documenting everything around me. Only later did I realize just how deeply rooted my passion for documentation truly was.

This calling stayed with me throughout my life, particularly when I worked as a nanny. I became acutely aware that the moments I was sharing with the children—though fleeting and full of meaning—would not remain in their memories. It was this realization that gave birth to my series, 'The Lost Years.'

The project evolved into a decade-long journey, culminating in a show this past year. Twenty-four images from the series were featured in Julia Dean's Projecting L.A. 2024, where they were projected onto an 80-foot-wide, three-story building in the heart of downtown Chinatown, Los Angeles. The exhibition also highlighted the work of 32 renowned photojournalists and street photographers, creating a dynamic celebration of the city's visual storytelling.

Since COVID, I have sought portals of peace, finding solace in the natural world. This journey began with photographing Dracaenas in the Hollywood Hills with my series, 'In the Garden in Chislehurst' followed by 'The L.A. River''. Most recently, I have taken an unusual turn with my series 'Lunar Sanctuaries'. This series combines double exposures of a mock moon and botanical imagery, further enhanced by painting within the images using an iPhone 11 and the Snapseed app.

This departure from "pure" photography challenged my understanding of the medium and pushed me far outside my comfort zone. Yet, I felt compelled to create something entirely new and allowed myself to follow that pull. In many ways, it was age that granted me the permission I needed to embark on this creative journey, embracing the freedom to experiment and redefine my artistic boundaries.

It's only now, in my late 60's, that I fully embrace the strength of standing in my own power. I've come to understand that my art needs no validation- it is enough simply because it exists.

Now, I find myself increasingly curious about the journeys of women photographers I respect- both those I've met personally and those I know virtually. Their dedication and prolific work reflect their passion and commitment. With boundless creativity and unique perspectives, they inspire and challenge the ordinary, inviting deeper reflection. These traits make them exceptional and worthy of recognition.

Below are the questions I posed to the women.

"What is your Life's Work? What is the pull? What themes surface time and time again? Sometimes without consciously choosing, the work unfolds and what is revealed is powerful and universal. Why is this important? Because your expression has the power to shine a light on what others cannot express do you believe that your work can help others in their own journey? Do you feel more powerful as you age, finding greater freedom and strength in expressing yourself through your art? As you gain more life experience and confidence, does it empower you to break free from societal expectations, allowing your voice and vision to shine more boldly in your creative work?

Thanks to the artists for digging deep and sharing their souls.

Laurie Freitag
www.lauriefreitag.com
Visual artist/photographer and Director of L.A. Photo Curator (LAPC)
www.laphotocurator.com

In alphabetical order:

Anne Berry
Birgit Maddox
Dale Niles
Debe Arlook
Debra Achen
Diana Bloomfield
Diana Nicholette Jeon
Diane Fenster
Donna Bassin
Elizabeth Bailey
Ellen Friedlander
Ellen Jantzen
Jody Miller
Julia Dean
Kathryn Dunlevie
Lori Pond
Mara Zaslove
Marna Bell
Natalie Obermaier
Susan Kaufer Carey
Vicky Stromee

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ANNE BERRY

"I’m drawn to mystery and beauty; my subjects are childhood, the animal world, and the Southern coastal wilderness.The memories, stories and settings of my Southern upbringing influence my work, infusing it with a darkly romantic and southern gothic feeling. My work explores themes of brokenness, nostalgia for a green, fertile world, and a yearning to go back to the past and set things right. The photographs speak to the heart and the imagination, evoking empathy and a desire to protect. I’m always seeking an invisible connection, which touches something eternal, something not man made. I think all great writing and art touches this ethereal and mystical force that exists beneath the mundane and the superficial."

www.anneberrystudio.com

BIRGIT MADDOX

"How can a single poem or image unleash a desire for a lifelong search? As a young woman, after reading the poem “I am so young” by Rainer Maria Rilke and seeing paintings with the ethereal quality such as Rain, Steam and Speed (1844) by William Turner or the purple paintings by Claude Monet, I was mesmerized by mystery, the hidden - the obscure - the ethereal and otherworldly. It inspired me to go beyond what the eyes can see.

This was the beginning of my life’s work. I started creating ethereal landscape scenes that evoked a sense of mystery. I was pulled in again and again to use different photographic processes from salt prints to silver gelatin prints that produced the feel I was searching for.

In 2023 I attended the pinhole photography exhibit “Camera Obscura” in Regen, Germany. I was astounded by the mysterious quality of pinhole images. The long exposure and the distortion of a wide angle lens-less pinhole was exactly what I was looking for. I spent the next twelve months exposing over one hundred rolls of film and embarked on a year-long journey of selfportraits which resulted in a beautiful book print portfolio paired with my own poetry. This work has been the most valuable work I have done to date.

I realized that my photography and my poetry were one and the same – an internal dialog about the world around me and what it means to be human. This is my journey into Mystery."
www.birgitmaddox.com/

DALE NILES

L.A. Photo Curator: "What is your Life's Work?"

Dale Niles: "I don't think of it as work, more of a pleasure. I especially love when I am able to go on a retreat with a group of photographers. The juices start flowing and I can't wait to start producing something and actually see it come to fruition."

LAPC: "What is the pull?"

DN: "Creating and seeing the results."

LAPC: "What themes surface time and time again?"

DN: "My heritage. Since I am the oldest of my family that is still living, I feel an importance in recording my family's history. I do this through my photography and storytelling."

LAPC: "Sometimes without consciously choosing, the work unfolds and what is revealed is powerful and universal."

DN: "I do feel that I am a storyteller. I usually have a story in mind when I shoot. It does not always turn out as I planned but sometimes it is even better. Even though I have a story, I love hearing the interpretations of the people who are viewing my art. When it touches someone that is a bonus for me."

LAPC: "Why is this important?"

DN: "When my art touches someone and they want to tell me that or even buy a print for themselves, I feel it validates that my work is credible. It's like when you are reading a book and you get sucked in and you can't get enough. I am sure authors love that."

LAPC: "Because your expression has the power to shine a light on what others cannot express do you believe that your work can help others in their own journey?"

DN: "I didn't really think about my work that way. But I do have a friend that is a photography teacher at a university tell me that he had shared my photography to his students as an example of composition and color. He had done this before I even knew him in person. I admire him as a photographer as well as a professor. I was so flattered. I hope it helped someone. I do enjoy sharing what I know and I believe most of the photography community does too."

LAPC: "Do you feel more powerful as you age, finding greater freedom and strength in expressing yourself through your art?"

DN: "I do feel wiser. I have had more freedom of working on my art since my four children are all on their own. I do credit them for helping me start on the path of photography. Even though I was photographing before they were born, I did photograph a lot more after they were here. I could not get enough of capturing them. And practice makes perfect, right?"

LAPC: "As you gain more life experience and confidence, does it empower you to break free from societal expectations, allowing your voice and vision to shine more boldly in your creative work?"

DN: "As I said above, I do feel wiser. I do enjoy getting feed back about my art. When I first started entering exhibits, I would take it personally if I did not get in. I now realize that it is one person's opinion and they are also trying to select a cohesive show. It is not personal. Not that it is not great to be selected, it is! I also shoot what I love without the thought of how it will be received.

(This is my daughter in the photo-The cap belonged to her great great great Aunt Willie)

Showing how things don't always turn out as you expected....the day my daughter came to my house she knew it would be a photography session. She shows up and the end of her blonde hair is dyed orange. I thought well that isn't what I had envisioned for the photo but I loved how it turned out. The orange actually added to the image for me. The background image is one of my grandmother's painting."

www.dalenilesphotography.com

DEBE ARLOOK

L.A. Photo Curator: "What is your Life's Work?"

Debe Arlook: "On the highest level, my life’s work focuses on making a positive impact in the world. When I learn that my work has affected people in a meaningful way, I feel beyond humbled and encouraged to continue."

LAPC: "What is the pull?"

DA: "Addressing the existential questions of life, and in particular the challenges of my own life and those of my family, are the greatest pulls. The act of photographing gives me the opportunity to view and understand myself, others and the world through various perspectives.
My most recognized project is also my most personal. one, one thousand…. is an unconventional documentary and a different kind of love story about my family. We share the impact Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (a rare, difficult to control, type of epilepsy) and autism have on a mother and son's experience of life-long care. The pull for this work is deeply layered and wide reaching:

Be a witness for my sister, Lori, and give my non-verbal nephew, David, a voice.

Bring awareness to the behind-closed-doors of lifetime family caregivers and the one being cared for.

Let family caregivers and people with disabilities know they are not alone.

Nurture compassion. Most people will need a caregiver or be a caregiver at some point in their lives. This is not a story of the “other.”

Bring awareness and raise research funding for Lennox Gastaut Syndrome."

LAPC: "What themes surface time and time again? "

DA: "The underlying themes of my projects stem from my desire to gain understanding beyond what I think I know. These themes involve meditation, reflection, observation, inquiry and perception."

LAPC: "Sometimes without consciously choosing, the work unfolds and what is revealed is powerful and universal. Why is this important?"

DA: "one, one thousand…, my only documentary out of eleven projects and something I never intended to make, is a perfect example. I was casually photographing my family when a voice in my head clearly said, “You need to make a project about Lori and David.” This had never happened before. I instinctively knew that each project I had previously made was to prepare me for this work. I had no idea how to proceed but I followed my intuition and have created a body of work that is making great impacts around the world.

"one, one thousand"… exhibited extensively in the US, Europe and Asia, attracting the attention of Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. It has been influential in spreading awareness of Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, a rare seizure disorder, as well as bringing attention to the challenges of life-long caregiving. This is especially important in India, an area of the world where this kind of education is rare."

LAPC: "Because your expression has the power to shine a light on what others cannot express, do you believe that your work can help others in their own journey?"

DA: "Absolutely. We all have the potential to inspire and assist each other in different ways. My meditation projects, Witness and foreseeable cache, invite viewers and collectors to pause, breathe and reset. We can all use that. Through presentations and exhibitions one, one thosuand… has helped doctors, researchers and pharmaceutical representatives get a better understanding about their patients/clients; reminded student doctors why they chose medical school; and provided benefits to others listed in the bullet points above."

LAPC: "Do you feel more powerful as you age, finding greater freedom and strength in expressing yourself through your art?"

DA: "I wouldn’t say powerful but definitely more confident in expressing myself."

LAPC: "As you gain more life experience and confidence, does it empower you to break free from societal expectations, allowing your voice and vision to shine more boldly in your creative work?"

DA: "Absolutely. The best thing I learned was to follow my instincts and forego advice that did not fit."

www.debearlookphotography.com

DEBRA ACHEN

"Life’s Work? That seems to imply some looking back and defining a legacy of sorts. I look at my creative path more like a labyrinth - a kind of circular journey of growth and discovery with lots of twists and turns. I developed a passion for both art and nature at a very young age. My original life “plan” was to teach art at the college level while pursuing my own studio practice. That was until I got in the classroom and realized very quickly that teaching was not for me. (big turn on the labyrinth at that point).

Growing up in the “feminist era” of the 70s it was important to me to support myself and to be self-sufficient. Having studied filmmaking and video production in addition to various studio arts and darkroom photography, I found work in the motion picture and television industries and later in educational technology. All the while I was photographing on the side - art was a secondary priority. My passion for nature and landscape continued and for many years that meant seeing what is “out there” - looking for the perfect light or mood, finding creative angles and compositions, applying in-camera techniques like slow-capture, or getting in close to show the abstract qualities in nature.

As my career wound down and I had more time to devote to photography, my creative path shifted and I began to explore more of my “inner landscape” - what am I thinking, feeling, and experiencing in the environment and how can I express that in my work. During this time I was learning more about climate change and witnessing the escalating drought and extreme weather events around me. My sense of climate anxiety was growing and my ongoing “Folding and Mending” series resulted. By drawing attention to our climate crisis, this work gives me a voice to advocate for our planet - to be a change agent. Working toward something larger than myself gives me a special sense of purpose that in turn, inspires my creative practice.

Getting back to the “Life’s Work” concept, I would say that the experiences from all the years and facets of my life (work, travel, family, friends, education, music, art, etc.) have contributed and led to the point where I am on the labyrinth. I don’t know what the next turn will bring, I just keep going forward. Certainly having traveled this far, I have gained confidence in myself and in my creative work. I suppose that is the foundation for freedom of expression."

www.debraachen.com

DIANA H. BLOOMFIELD

"I am a 6th generation North Carolinian. Story-telling was deeply engrained in me from an early age. I grew up surrounded by a family and a small town complete with natural born story-tellers.

Even the most mundane or trivial event could be woven into a long, non-linear, humorous, often embellished and mostly unreliable- yet always captivating- tale. So when I think about my “life’s work,” I think about the fact that I, too, am a story-teller, and I continue that Southern story-telling
tradition through my visual narratives.

Those narratives are almost always about what’s in my mind’s eye, about memory, and how the past always intersects with the present. The real draw for me is perhaps making sense of the past and
putting my stories and my ever-shifting, fugitive, and dreamlike memories to paper.

So, in the end, I’ve created these tangible memories that I can see and hold, much like reading old family photographs
that offer insight to another time and place. I am also continually intrigued by how quickly a moment can change, simply by the click of a shutter.

Aware that I am the unreliable narrator of my own memories, I am equally drawn to
happenstance. I avoid being too invested in any pre-conceived set-in-stone ideas for my images. That’s a slippery slope to perfectionism and, ultimately, disappointment. When I remain open to what might unfold, the creative possibilities seem endless. I fully embrace the unknown— never being quite sure of what I’m getting with my photographs or what I’ll see in my final prints. I often use toy or pinhole
cameras, and I choose to print in 19th century printing techniques, such as gum bichromate, where a print is hand-built layer upon layer. Each layer adds richness, softness, and ambiguity— much like we
might see or remember. The variables inherent in this particular process keep it challenging and fun for me.

I’m always learning something new.
Confidence grows with age and just continually working and evolving, open to change, and just getting better and more secure with my own story-telling. Certainly, for me, teaching workshops
through the years has been an enormous boon in that way, and also helps to cement in my own mind what I do and why. And all those life experiences, especially those never-ending roller coaster experiences in the art world, have helped me become an advocate for my own work. But that
confidence also stems from my early willingness to simply trust my gut and follow my own path. That complete inner trust certainly offers a calm sense of empowerment and willingness to take creative chances.

I’ve always maintained a sense of freedom and even playfulness with my art. I’ve never felt anyone ever placed any expectations on me, or even had any real expectations of me. And while that
may have left me somewhat rudderless at times, I also believe that lack of pressure was very liberating.

Consequently, I always felt a real sense of freedom, both in my life and in my approach to art. That approach is consistently rooted in honesty. I have this idea that if I’m honest with and stay true to
myself and the work I create, that it will ultimately resonate with viewers in meaningful and positive ways— ways that are universally relatable."

www.dhbloomfield.com

DIANA NICHOLETTE JEON

"Returning to art school as an adult after a career in Silicon Valley, I found it impossible to divorce my life experiences from my artistic expression. My perspective, shaped by years of diverse experiences, has been a constant thread in my work.

My work, a fusion of pushing the boundaries of photography and a running commentary on my life experiences as an American woman, is a testament to the universality of human emotions. Regardless of the specific series topic, be it dreams, memories, adverse life experiences, or feminist or sociopolitical commentary, there are emotional threads that bind us all. The emotionality in my work serves as a mirror, reflecting our shared human-ness and showing how we all are the same underneath the face we show the world: fragile psyches, skin, bones, imperfect bodies. Like our ideas, materials also have mana, so I use the materiality of media to underscore my concepts, further emphasizing the understanding my work offers. My art is a reflection of my rebellious Aries nature, a nature that has never indeed conformed to societal expectations. This non-conformity fuels experimentation and drives me to constantly seek new techniques to add to my artistic toolbox.

Art is my 'weapon' to confront life's battles. But like in life, so in art: it's always about the maker's passions. My work is my passion, a necessity for me that is as vital as breathing."

www.diananicholettejeon.com

DIANE FENSTER

"The following excerpt regarding my personal work is from "Diane Fenster: The Alchemy of Vision" by Celia Rabinovitch and Diane Fenster: a chapter in "Women and New Media," edited by Judy Malloy and published by The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press.

My work derives technically from two different mediums, from the computer which I first learned as a graphic design tool, and from photography which I initially used as "found" material in the vintage or family photographs that I used in my art. It also derives from the practice of photography itself which I began to explore in 1992 by taking my own photographs as a source for the images, or photomontages, that I had created with my earlier work. My experiments with photography opened a surprising new realm of meaning for my work, as I was able to find my own voice and create personal landscapes from images that persistently impelled me to photograph them.

There are two encompassing metaphors that preoccupy me. These are of the architecture of creative work and the archaeology of the soul, which like building out or digging deep are mirror images.

Through these fundamental themes I grapple with internal and personal processes of identity, desire, longing, and the inevitable losses sealed in memory. The metaphor of architecture suggests the processes of constructing, building, and creating a place for the self. The idea of place implies safety and sanctuary, intimacy and warmth, but also isolation and loneliness in the home of one's past, as well as boundaries and limits, both protective and fearsome.

The other metaphor in my work is that of the archaeological excavation of memory which, while it reveals, also conceals through illusion, transformation, and deeply embedded ideas that may obscure the truth. And I am after the truth of myself, the one I can define as each artist must with the hope that it extends into a common intimacy with the viewer."

www.lensculture.com/diane-fenster

DONNA BASSIN

"Though I didn’t realize it then, my life's work began when I was barely 11. My younger sister died of cancer, and my parents withdrew into their grief. I started crafting bright paper art to lure them back to me so we could face our loss together.

As I’ve grown older, my purpose has sharpened and become more urgent. Drawing on my wisdom as a trauma psychologist and the visual language of photography, I work to keep the rawness of injury and repair alive. Amid the devastations of social injustice, the erosion of democracy, and now the ravages of the climate crisis, I create photo-based projects driven by the belief that making and experiencing art can turn loss, grieving, and healing into catalysts for personal and social change."

www.donnabassin.com

ELIZABETH BAILEY

"My photography has always been rooted more in emotion than in fact or reality. I love to create images with implied narratives, where only part of the story is visible, with hints as to what might be missing or obscured.

Since childhood I’ve been obsessed with secrets, mystery, and the prospect of uncovering hidden meaning. I first wrote poetry and stories, and then discovered photography.

The interior life - both my own, and that of others - fascinates me. What do we choose to conceal versus reveal to the world? I seek to convey, through imagery, a deeply personal storytelling, a means of sharing a story or point of view. I never made a conscious decision to work like this, but over the years it became evident to me, as I gravitated to these themes again and again, both in my self-portraiture and in the work I do to document and present the stories of others."

www.elizabethbaileyphoto.com

ELLEN FRIEDLANDER

"As I reflect on my 65th year around the sun, I concur with my fellow artists that there is a freedom that started to come over me in my 6th decade. Creativity isn’t just a tool; it’s a language. And I feel that my life's work is my unrelenting obsession with creativity. It’s the energy that pushes me to explore, express, and challenge perceptions.

From the very beginning I have been drawn to portraiture - both Self Portraits and Portraits - as well as the Street and yes, much in between. This is both the push and pull for me: finding my focus. Through my art, I aim to not only create but to ignite that same spark in others, to inspire them to see the world through a more vibrant, imaginative lens. And in the last couple of years, I have strengthened my own art practice by going beyond myself and mentoring young artists. Being an artist is so much more challenging than I ever thought it would be, and helping others navigate the cycle of being an artist has really helped me embrace my own creative process that is constantly flowing between ups and downs."

www.ellenfriedlanderphotography.com

ELLEN JANTZEN

"As an artist who uses photography as an art form, I am interested in states of reality. How is reality experienced; how is it revealed? As I become more aware of the many scientific theories about multi-universes, space/time conundrums and the like, I find reality difficult to define and a challenge to depict. I am drawn to this challenge by striving to make visual that which may not have a visual component. I am always interested in looking beyond the surface in the hopes of revealing something deeper and unexpected.

Several themes surface time and again….Memory, the environment, my parent’s passing (death). Photographs were once considered "truthful", but we now know there has been photo tampering going on since its inception. Because photos are "believed" there is a great deal
of room to play within photography's reality to create a personal fiction (a visual poetry) that is more open to interpretation. This is the very reason I was drawn to photography twenty years ago as a creative medium.

Photography, especially digitally aided photo collage/montage, is a potent medium through which I am able to communicate the ways I see and understand the world.”

www.ellenjantzen.com

JODY MILLER

"Getting older has enabled me to see the "brand new" in everything that has been. I start every day thinking it will be better than the last, with an enthusiasm that I didn't have when I was 40. The camera has been my medium of choice, since it most accurately and simply records my impressions of the beauty in the natural world, as well as the beauty in decay and darkness. I've been exploring how to expand my vision by melding painting and photography, giving each image more meaning and visual impact. It's been quite the life's journey, always endeavoring to express my internal visions more precisely. The work of an artist is never done, and having the value of 50 years of prior experience makes it easier now to express myself through photography."

www.jodymillerphoto.com

JULIA DEAN

"My parents gave me a camera when I was 10, the age in which my life took on meaning. From the beginning, I photographed life around me. I would later become a photojournalist, a documentary photographer, a street photographer, as well as an educator. I have now been teaching photography for 42 years, half of that in the college classroom, half at my own school.

I am grateful that both photography and teaching found their way into my life, for I would not be complete or happy without them both. Photography has a allowed me to enter people's lives whom I would otherwise have never meet, all around the world. Teaching has allowed me to share my knowledge, my passion, my excitement, and my enthusiasm. Teaching doesn't keep me from doing my photography. It enhances it.

Age brings wisdom and confidence. With more knowledge, I am a better teacher. With more confidence, I am a better photographer."

www.juliadean.com

KATHRYN DUNLEVIE

L.A. Photo Curator: "What is your Life's Work? What is the pull?"

Kathryn Dunlevie: "For me, making work is exciting. There are limitless possibilities, and the process is full of surprises. It can be intense, challenging and frustrating, but it’s definitely one of the most engaging and rewarding ways I spend my time.

LAPC: "What themes surface time and time again?"

KD: "I’ve always been fascinated by apparent inconsistencies in space and time, and each individual’s shifting perception of what is real. I also have a keen interest in psychology and how personalities and patterns of behavior develop."

LAPC: "Sometimes without consciously choosing, the work unfolds and what is revealed is powerful and universal. Why is this important?"

KD: "It’s a gift that takes me somewhere unexpected,sometimes in an entirely new direction. That it might resonate with many is miraculous!"

LAPC: "Because your expression has the power to shine a light on what others cannot express, do you believe that your work can help others in their own journey?"

KD: "I do always hope that my work is helpful to people. Creating it has certainly been helpful for me."

LAPC: "Do you feel more powerful as you age, finding greater freedom and strength in expressing yourself through your art?"

KD: "I do still run up against doubts once in a while, but I’m quicker to reassure myself and move forward."

LAPC: "As you gain more life experience and confidence, does it empower you to break free from societal expectations, allowing your voice and vision to shine more boldly in your creative work?"

KD: "Absolutely! And it’s a wonderful change. I’m now experiencing enough freedom in the studio to create series I would never even have thought of creating before."

www.kathryndunlevie.com

LORI POND

"I think my life's work is and always has been about me trying to understand myself and the world around me. From a very early age, I was attracted to oddities, horror movies, and wearing purple and orange together; basically anything that wasn't normal. Photography is my way to explore the tangible and intangible, physical and emotional, light and dark, and the biggest theme of all, life and death. Photography reminds me how important it is to capture the present moment and preserve it. Photography forces me to slow down and notice--everything. A highlight of my day can be something as simple, yet extraordinary, as looking at an oak leaf backlit by the sun, creating a gold rim outlining the leaf.

I think getting older definitely has given me more insight into how I make art, and why I do it. I can now connect my childhood obsession with watching the American gothic soap opera "Dark Shadows" to the kind of work I do now. I love that delving into conceptual work has allowed me to reconstruct childhood memories I didn't realize I had until after making the work.

As I age, I am looking more and more at transitions; particularly the transition between life and death. Memories are not solid; they veer from tack sharp to almost complete obfuscation. With my newest as yet unpublished work, "I Live Through Transparent Things", I'm trying to visually emulate what my memory feels like.

I believe in the Buddhist concept of impermanence. What is here today may be gone tomorrow. Nothing or no one lasts forever. All we have is the present moment, because the past is already behind us, and the future isn’t here. For me, the perfect example of this is a haiku written by ancient Japanese poet, Dogen. In just a few words, he reminds us of impermanence and the indescribable beauty that exists in every moment."

To what shall
I liken the world?
Moonlight, reflected
In dewdrops,
Shaken from a crane’s bill.

www.loripond.com

MARA ZASLOVE

"I became a photographer in my ‘third chapter’ and have never looked back. Everything that I experienced beforehand has influenced my work as has my early exposure to my father’s artistic sensibility.

I am constantly delighted by what my eye sees and friends are always commenting about how I notice things that others miss.

My life has been fuller since I have pursued photography. Years ago, when returning from Sequoia, I stopped the car to walk into the woods towards a controlled fire. When printed, the fire appeared as if it was fog rolling through the trees. Upon submitting this image to a Sierra Club competition, it won 1st place. This acknowledgement prompted me to dive into the world of photography.

Having just retired from my profession as a child therapist, I bought a DSLR and I took an extension course to prompt myself to take it out of the box!

With no previous formal training and primarily self-taught, I allowed myself to explore (through trial and error) this new interest and was comfortable with my own learning curve.

Being of a certain age and older, I challenge myself and hone my skills without feeling the pressure to create. This has been my outlook since my youth as I tend to be most competitive with myself as opposed to competing with others.

I find myself drawn to people in a multitude of surroundings. Frequently, when I notice someone with a distinctive look, be it on the street, in a restaurant, museum or a Chi Gong class, I often ask them if they would join me in a collaboration. An example of this is represented by my signature work (and book entitled) 'Aging Gracefully’.

This body of work has received a lot of attention and recognition. It is a very powerful expression of one woman’s passage as she moves closer to 100 years old. The poignancy of these (often) nude images captures the beauty and uplifting spirit of Inge. I am hopeful that these images of her will stand as a metaphor to demystify aging and encourage the viewer to continue to savor the joy in everyday living.

I am particularly inspired by nature. I continually notice small wonders while walking my dog in a suburban environment. The optimal location for me is my annual visit to Sequoia, my happy place. It is a sanctuary of unblemished beauty and serenity.

My imagery of people and the natural world is often at the forefront of my work. They are gifts to myself that I also enjoy sharing with others. Introducing my photographic orientation to the public invites them to view the subject through my personal lens and perspective. I truly believe that the more one is exposed to different points of view, be it photographically or otherwise, it allows them to expand their awareness and invites more personal growth."

www.marazaslove.com

MARNA BELL

L.A. Photo Curator: "What is your life's work? What is the pull? What themes surface?"

Marna Bell: "My life’s work revolves around capturing nostalgia and remembering the past by revisiting my childhood home or other parallel locations."

LAPC: "Why is this important?"

MB: "The work revealing the universal truth allows us to connect to one another and find common ground with our art."

LAPC: "Can your work help others in their own journey?"

MB: "Yes I think we can all relate the idea of childhood and reminiscing. It can help others remember their own forgotten memories and bring a feeling from the past into the present, giving it new life and appreciation."

LAPC: "Do you feel more powerful as you age in expressing yourself? Does it empower you to break societal conventions?"

MB: "Yes I’m no longer worried about what others think, I’ve found confidence in my artwork and sharing my experiences without another's agenda."

www.marnabell.com

NATALIE OBERMAIER

"I had a mentor who used to say again and again that "you can only show your work for the first time, once, so choose wisely." At the time and for MANY years afterwards I believed this to be tantamount to supreme truth. It was utterly paralyzing. I feel that I missed out on countless opportunities waiting for my voice to be perfected.

My belief now, in my forties, is that there will always be a through line. There will always be YOU in your work. Explore the topics and materials that you are inspired by, and allow process and discovery to work their magic."

www.natalieobermaier.com

SUSAN KAUFER CAREY

L.A. Photo Curator: "What is your life’s work and what themes repeatedly surface?"

Susan Kaufer Carey: "My work (both as a visual artist and writer) addresses the reclamation, expression and celebration of our authentic selves.

In a world  laced with comparanoia where we veil our true selves inside of our “highlight reels” on social media, I am drawn to champion the underdogs of our psyche, that is to say the parts of ourselves we don’t let the world see for fear of being judged unlovable/unworthy.

As we practice the art of living honestly out loud, we give each other permission to be ourselves, our whole selves and nothing but ourselves."

LAPC: "As you gain more life experience and confidence, does it empower you to break free from societal expectations, allowing your voice and vision to shine more boldly in your creative work?"

SKC: "No question. In my experience, with the cumulative power of age, we grow more confident and become less rattled by life’s inevitable storms and detours. The other gift that no one tells you about as you age is that you start caring LESS  about what other people think of you and MORE about what you think of yourself. This one shift unleashes an unshakable authenticity and personal freedom."

LAPC: "Do you believe your work can help others on their journey?
Do you feel more powerful as you age, finding greater freedom and strength in expressing yourself through your art?"

SKC: "Yes. I live by author Bell hooks’ sentiment that “Artists process their lived experience in public, so others can process their lived experience in private“.  All art has the capacity to help others on their journey. I believe that particularly as we age we have the opportunity to ripen into wise women, priestesses– and this is one of our most potent opportunities to serve. To give back some of what we’ve gained and to mentor others along their path of creative awakening, evolution, and prowess.
Susan Kaufer Carey is a writer, photographer and visual artist. She mentors creatives in Los Angeles, New York and online."

www.susancareyphoto.com

VICKY STROMEE

"I am a seeker, an adventurer with boundless curiosity for the unknown.
Throughout my life I have pondered the same questions: What is eternal in the midst of impermanence?
What is the nature of transformation?
What are the patterns that connect us?

I’ve always felt a kinship with Buddhist thought and the concept of nonduality - the belief that there is only one reality that is the summation of all experience. That there is no separation between subject and object; inner self and outer experience; self and other. We are drops in the ocean, interconnected manifestations of spirit.

I am drawn to the edges and intersections where one thing moves inexorably to become something else. When is the moment when love fades into anger and resentment; when disillusionment erupts into a violent uprising, when order descends into chaos? And when is the moment when war turns towards peace; unbearable grief shifts towards acceptance; or when pain gives way to relief?
Photographically I seek to capture those moments of transformation.

At dusk I watch as the lines of fire roar up the ridgelines of my beloved mountains. By morning the sky is filled with smoke. Photographs capture a deep beauty as a familiar landscape is shrouded in surreal reds, oranges and pinks.

Damaged cacti lose their color and their skin is scared, yet when the rain comes all of their energy goes into creating new pads and buds. I am inspired by their will to survive and photograph the ways in which life begins anew.

Growing up, one wall of my mother’s paint studio was lined with cut glass cabinet doors. The light would stream in, refracting off the edges and filling my eyes with the colors of the rainbow.

There is something so joyful in the simplicity of light – how it interacts with objects, fragments into rays of color, and recombines to shape perception.

By photographing projections of refracted light and cropping, shaping, and layering the images in Photoshop, I create objects of meditation on that transformative process.

I believe my life’s work is to inspire a sense of wonder and awe for the everyday miracles that surround us, to bring more beauty and more love into the world.

When I am engaged in the act of creation – no longer focused on trying to create, but simply being a conduit – time disappears. I’m following an intuitive process to listen for what comes next. The external chatter recedes, I feel a sense of calm, I feel connected to a deeper flow.

When I was younger, I wanted to control the process, replicate the steps, know the outcome in advance. As I age, I am more content to follow that flow and trust that the process is leading me where I need to go. I embrace the joy of discovery along the way.
My life lessons:multiple realities exist simultaneously, nothing stays the same, yet nothing is ever lost or gained – just transformed. Everything is always becoming something else.
We are all interconnected and part of a larger living system."

www.instagram.com/vickystromeephotography

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