In Pursuit of the “Perfect” Photograph
Meeting House View (Built in 1792), 2024
8.5 x 11," Archival Pigment Print
In 2023, my daughter and I had the amazing opportunity to be the Artists in Residence at the historic Canterbury Shaker Village. Staying in the Trustees' Office (built in 1831!), we were instantly embraced by a sense of warmth and inspiration, as if the very walls were inviting us to explore, reflect, and celebrate the creative energy that the Shakers cultivated for centuries.
For a little context, the Shakers hold the title of the longest-lived American utopian experiment. In 1969, the remaining Canterbury Shaker Sisters made a big decision: to close their official membership and transform their Village into a non-profit historical site to preserve their unique legacy. *Though I must add that the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Community in Maine is still a working community, and Alexi and I have had the opportunity to attend two Sunday Services there in the last year!
As I wandered through the Canterbury Shaker Village and soaked up American history, I was truly moved by their core values—kindness, gender equality, and communal living. The Shaker way of life, steeped in acceptance, equality, craftsmanship, and hard work, feels like a guidebook for how we could all live with more purpose and kindness in today’s world. And I think this is the reason I feel so compelled to pursue a book project combining my own photographs with the poetry of Shaker Hymns (coming soon).
The Shakers see art and music as divine “gifts,” and while in Canterbury I found myself receiving gifts of my own. My photographs began to capture a simple yet powerful energy, grounded in the Shaker spirit of craftsmanship.
Fence around the Meeting House, October, 2024
Flash forward to October, 2024, and Alexi and I found our way back to the Canterbury Shaker Village for a one week extension of the residency. And this year, the fall leaves were at their glorious peak - so different than the muted fall of 2023! Being able to go back to the Village and reframe some of my original photographs in this new fall light was so important to our project.
When you are only on location for a short amount of time, the success of your photographs can be so dependent on the quality of light in that timeframe. You can do everything to set yourself up for the “perfect” photograph, but if the atmosphere of that particular day is off, there is little we can do (that is, if you are like me and avoid photoshop).
October, 2023
October, 2024
Above are two photographs of the North Shop (built in 1841) and below are two photographs depicting the view of the Village (Left to Right: Meeting House, Dwelling House, Spin Shop, Sister’s Shop, Ministry’s Shop). I remember making the photographs in 2023 on one of the last days in Canterbury. In making these photographs, I was focused on the formal structure and the light. But, I could only work with what Mother Nature was providing. So, when I returned to Canterbury this Fall, I had certain photographs in mind that I knew I wanted to return to and improve. Here in lies the case for a long-term project.
Click here to explore more photographs from this project, and click here to explore Shaker Village Fine Art Prints for sale.
October, 2023
October, 2024
If you want to learn more about the Shakers, here a few starting resources I have found useful:
In Union: The People, Place, and Stories of Canterbury Shaker Village (Available at the Canterbury Village Store)
A Shaker Sister’s Drawings: Wild Plants Illustrated By Cora Helena Sarle
