"To me, photography is an art of observation. It's about finding something interesting in an ordinary place..." — Elliott Erwitt, French-American photographer.

For my final project, I wanted to combine my love for nature and photography. Macro photography was something that I've always loved doing because it demands a certain level of patience and skill by fully immersing myself into a state of calm and focus. When you zoom in, a whole new layer of depth, detail, and  patterns emerges that you would walk by at any given moment. It allows me to stay in the present and be mindful of the nature that surrounds us, most of which we may take for granted in our everyday lives. One of my inspirations for this project was a photographer named Ilana Block, a family friend from Montreal who travels to different parts of the world, to capture the beauty of various animals, landscapes and insects. Her love for nature, specifically for wildlife photography, is displayed in every one of her photos and encourages me to go do the same. 

In a school setting where people are constantly busy, occupied by their several tasks at hand, it's easy to get stressed and become overwhelmed. One of my main goals was to share a message, to take a breath, unwind, and have a moment to yourselves or a have a moment with nature. Because without a time for relaxation, you'll never be able to witness the beauty that surrounds us each and every day.  I hope after you view some of my photos, you'll be inspired to explore what's out there and hopefully, you find something that makes it all worth it.