picturedept:

Deb Schwedhelm, From the Sea

Though Debora Schwedhelm has been passionate about photography since her early 20s, her career as a photographer did not start until her career in the military had ended. Trained originally as Registered Nurse, she then spent 10 years employed as an Air Force Nurse. Based in Tampa, Florida, her family is a great inspiration to her work. From the Sea drifts in a dreamlike register between the tranquil and the sinister; her children enveloped by the dark ocean.

My love for underwater photography began in my backyard pool, capturing the everyday riot of my children – swimming, playing with friends, relaxing in the sun, splashing, laughter, combat. But as I continued to photograph in the water, unexpected images began to surface. Shimmering fragments. Dark profiles. Murky truths. Whispering poetry. From the pool to rivers, lakes, springs, bay inlets and the expansive sea, this poetry speaks again and again. I am endlessly taken by surprise and I listen.

The images in this series aren’t forced or posed; instead, each is it’s own revelation – a milepost on an unexpected voyage to an unknowable destination. While the making of these photographs in the water is often chaotic, I am simultaneously offered a sense of home, comfort and peace.

—Debora Schwedhelm

Deb was awarded the 2012 PhotoNOLA Review Prize. To see more of her work, visit debschwedhelm.com.

Unreal work!

(via photographsonthebrain)