"Between Worlds"
A swirl of pollen in a puddle reflects the forest and sky, creating the feeling of standing between two different worlds.
Summer rainstorms often leave behind mesmerizing pine pollen-filled puddles across the West in early summer. A few years ago, after a passing storm, I discovered this small scene within a large puddle. Reflections of pine trees and sky mingled with swirling pollen, creating something far more evocative than a simple puddle.
For a moment, as I photographed it, it felt as though two worlds had merged. The pollen drifting across the reflected sky took on the appearance of stars scattered across a night landscape, transforming this intimate scene into an imagined terrain. What began as a reflection became a landscape of the mind, where sky and earth seemed to coexist in the same space.I spent hours that afternoon exploring endlessly shifting puddles and patterns, each revealing something new as the breeze continuously reshaped them. Of all the scenes I photographed that day, this one remained my favorite, as a simple puddle gave me pause and invited me to imagine.