As I was on my way down to the Applebarn late on Monday afternoon, I noticed Lily laying under the large Maple tree outside the farmhouse. Usually the iconic Adirondack chairs occupy the space underneath the tree but Megan had mowed the lawns that morning and the chairs had been moved. I stood still and watched for a moment before I asked Lily if I could take her picture. She lifted her head slightly and and said she didn’t mind, immediately returning to herself.

How rare it is that I give myself moments like this, give myself over to stillness, to silence, to be free with my mind. Yet, I am drawn to these moments as experienced by others and find such beauty and richness in the role of witness.

“…that’s why we’re photographers, we’re preservationists by nature. We take photographs to stop time. To commit moments to eternity. Human nature made tangible”

Benjamin Ryder, Kodachrome, 2017