In November 2023, I captured photos representative of two hikes in Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula. The first hike (viewed top, left to right) displays images taken from McLain State Park and the Bare Bluff overlook, while the second (viewed bottom, left to right) reveals photos from Gardner’s Creek Nature Trail and Calumet Waterworks Park.

Through these photos, I wanted to mimic the process of moving through the landscape, exploring connections between systems, and speaking to the complexities of life in the natural world. In a broad sense, I aimed to help others uncover some of the science behind the beauty we can all see in nature. I also wanted to emphasize themes related to the passage of time and seasonality, both of which are strong traits associated with autumn in the Northwoods.

Ultimately, it is my goal to immerse the viewer in these images as if they are going on the hike with me, sharing my intentions as an artist and ecologist, and applying language from both disciplines to gain a more meaningful understanding of our environment. Specifically, I was drawn to reveal gestalt principles of visual interaction, including symmetry, similarity, and common fate, and how their appearance in nature might uncover aspects of ecosystem function or even our own emotions.

In closing, I’ve titled this project Superior Influence, a nod to Lake Superior’s prominent effect on both shaping the region’s physical landscape and our metaphysical and emotional response to that landscape.