Sprawl | Kelly O'leary

"Alongside the boardwalk of a frequented beach near the Matanzas River Inlet, this graceful, sprawling beauty sits quietly, unremarkable to most of the foot traffic passing by, disappearing into a landscape of rambling, beachside brush. I shoot around this area quite frequently and she has always garnered my gaze, I’ve been enamored by her majestic form, to me a diamond in the rough. Expressive and beguiling, her arms outstretched, she gracefully reaches to futilely grasp for the very ground where her roots are so deeply moored. I’ve visited her frequently awaiting the right conditions to capture her disarming beauty unencumbered. With our coastline in disarray after being pummeled through back-to-back hurricanes, I was astounded to find her still standing, her footing a bit shaky, but standing, nonetheless. I found my moment, the moment to make her shine. After days of torrential rains, billowy overcast skies provided the ideal backdrop and filtered lighting I desired in addition to the generous puddles of water sitting upon the saturated earth offering a delightfully gentle reflection of this solemn beauty in the foreground."
~Kelly O'leary