Alone

A series of buoys marking a channel in the ocean with an overcast sky.
A black and white photograph of a woman with long hair and earrings, sitting with her arms crossed and gazing contemplatively, next to a view of a lake with a dock extending into the water.
Close-up black and white photo of a woman's face, showing her eyes, nose, and part of her lips.
Black and white photo of a hand holding a broken pencil.
Split black-and-white photo with a basketball hoop on the left and a young man with short hair and casual clothing on the right.
A woman with blonde hair in a black dress sitting on a wooden floor against a black background, one arm resting on her knee, and a wooden house with a shingled roof in a wooded area with leafless trees in the background.
A woman walking on a city street with modern buildings in the background, captured in black and white.
A black and white photograph of a city scene with a road running through it, some graffiti on the walls, and a tunnel at the end of the street. Next to the photo of the city, there is an image of a woman with short hair looking out cause she is standing by a window or a reflective surface.
A black and white photo of a woman with long hair holding a bouquet of sunflowers, with a background of a lakeside scene.
A black and white photograph of a sculpture depicting a human figure with a rounded, smooth body, sitting cross-legged on a box.
Black and white photograph of a young woman sitting on the floor with crossed arms, wearing a white dress, next to a textured wall; another black and white photograph of a pier extending into the water, taken from underneath with support beams and the ocean visible.
A black and white photograph of a young woman with wavy hair, wearing a white dress with thin straps, multiple necklaces, and a nose ring, standing against a plain background.
Close-up portrait of a smiling black man wearing a tuxedo with a white bow tie against a black background.

Index

Image 1 Long Way

Image 2 Vulnerable, Cliff

Image 3 Waves, I See Clearly

Image 4 Conch

Image 5 Broken Hoops, Who Am I

Image 6 Sober, Cabin

Image 7 Commute ‍

Image 8 The Other Side, Dirty Windows

Image 9 Broken Spring, The Pond

Image 10 The Box

Image 11 Here, Salted Timber

Image 12 A Life Raft, Metal Page

Image 13 Smiles

Alone is a contemplative look at solitude. These images of people and landscapes — each isolated in its own way — chart my personal journey into the nature of aloneness. I learned to be independent at an early age. Being raised on a cattle farm in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia taught me to be self-reliant and helped me develop the foundation of my identity. But the farm’s rural, melancholic atmosphere reminded me of an Andrew Wyeth painting. I spent my days alone exploring the open farmland. By sharing Alone, I aim to explore how aloneness has shaped me through monochromatic diptychs of people and places, inviting connection through similar experiences.

I chose to make this a monochromatic project to eliminate the emotional influence of color. Minimal landscapes and quiet subjects support the feelings of aloneness that I want to capture. Shadow strips away distraction, making the subject the undeniable centerpiece. This minimalistic approach invites self-reflection and a quieter contemplation of aloneness. Diptychs physically establish the emotional connections between subjects and their solitary environments. Each of these elements, coupled with the monochromatic color palette, grounds the work in my lived experience of aloneness.

Aloneness can create feelings of sadness, happiness, relaxation, or fear. These images are a self-reflection of my own experiences with aloneness. For the extrovert, Alone may convey a sense of forlornness in my subjects or the flatness of objects floating in an open landscape. But for others like me, even close relationships don’t diminish the belief that the world is still a fundamentally lonely place. Far removed from the farm, my life today is full of friends, family, and ever-expanding connections. Alone is not a voyeuristic view of a desire for isolation, but rather a reflection on my own experience with solitude. Understanding my own relationship with aloneness through direct depictions and connections of its emotional and physical dimensions continues to deepen my acceptance of aloneness as a significant part of my identity. I hope these images provide a space for quiet contemplation.