In Romania and Bulgaria, many older people are living on old collective farms, postcommunist. They live in crumbling houses in rural villages, far from family and friends. Days are spent foraging in the forest for wild mushrooms and berries, collecting firewood and corn for their few animals. Families visit rarely. Neighbors help when they can. These people are spending their last years enduring poverty, living alone and isolated! In America, our elderly are now facing death alone because of the pandemic. Few of us are prepared for the complexities of life and death.
I am a humanitarian photographer. I use my camera to amplify the voices of individuals and communities often marginalized by society. I am drawn to the human experience, casting light on lives concealed in the shadows. My work exemplifies the transformative power of this medium as I search for fleeting instances of grace and beauty that persist even amid life’s most significant challenges. Through my lens, I become a storyteller, an advocate, and a conduit for change, inviting viewers to journey into the worlds I capture. In doing so, I illuminate the threads that weave us all together.
