Author: aliciaz

Exit

Posted on by aliciaz
55mm, ISO 100, shutter speed 1/60

From my loft, where I usually study, I looked down the stairs in front of me. The stairs also continue upward toward my bedroom, where I sleep, so this space holds two parts of my everyday routine.

On the right side, the open doorway stood out. It felt like an exit, not in a dramatic way, but as a quiet break from the cycle of studying, sleeping, and repeating the same spaces every day.

In a place I pass through all the time, the doorway suddenly felt more meaningful. It became a change from my designated routine, an exit toward a new beginning.

Flowers

Posted on by aliciaz
55mm, ISO 100–200, Shutter speed 125, f/4

These flowers started as a Mother’s Day gift, but after the week became busy, they were left quietly on the table.

Their petals are beginning to wilt, but the sunlight still touches them gently, making them feel remembered instead of forgotten. The long shadows stretch across the table like the arms of time, reaching past the vase and pulling the moment into memory.

I wanted this photo to feel quiet, like a small reminder that memory can remain even as beauty begins to fade.

Angle

Posted on by aliciaz

50mm, 1100, ISO 100

I took this photo of the calendar on the door of my fridge. I wanted to show how something simple in my house can look more interesting from a different angle.

The calendar is not photographed straight on. Instead, the camera is tilted to the side, which makes the lines and numbers look like they are moving back into the background. The blurred edges also help guide the viewer’s eyes toward the circled date.

By using a side angle, the calendar feels less flat and more interesting. The lines, numbers, and blurred background make an everyday object look different from how I usually see it.

Stranger

Posted on by aliciaz
50mm, 1600, ISO 200

When I ordered ice cream at Terra, I did not expect anything special. Then a waiter came to my table with a giant dessert cart and started serving the ice cream right in front of me.

Even though she was a stranger, this small moment felt warm and personal. She was focused on her job, but her care made the experience feel special.

Serenity

Posted on by aliciaz
ISO: 800, 35mm, Shutter speed: 1/125

Serenity

In a quiet corner between two chairs, my dog rests without worry, surrounded by soft light and stillness. Nothing is rushing, nothing is loud just a small, peaceful moment that often goes unnoticed.

Moments like this remind me to slow down and appreciate calm in everyday life.

Aging

Posted on by aliciaz
50mm, 1100, ISO 100

Aging is a construct of who we are as people.

I walked into my sisters room missing her a lot. She went to school in Boston a few years back and visited a tiny bit each year. I looked at her wall across the room, filled with memories she had growing up clipped onto the wall with fairy lights. Every single one of these pictures were my sister’s nostalgic memories.

I blurred the faces to keep it more private.

Golden Hour

Posted on by aliciaz
ISO: 100, 55mm, Shutter-speed 1/100

I walked up the hill behind my house at just the right moment to catch golden hour. The sky was filled with warm, soft light, and the clouds glowed gently in shades of orange. From the top of the hill, I watched the sun brush the clouds with color while the hills below faded into shadows. The soft light and wide open sky create a peaceful, almost magical moment that inspires feelings of calm, reflection, and quiet hope.


Negative space

Posted on by aliciaz
ISO: 100, 55mm, Shutter-speed 1/500

While walking around my block, I noticed the clouds fading into the trees. In this photo, I used negative space by leaving a large open sky around the dark trees. Negative space is the empty area that surrounds the main subject and helps it stand out. By placing the trees to one side, the open sky creates a calm and airy feeling. Negative space isn’t just empty, it helps shape the mood and balance of the photo.

Center Frame Portrait

Posted on by aliciaz

loneliness

ISO: 50, 55mm, Shutter-speed 1/20

The mushroom sits alone on the forest floor, surrounded by scattered bark, dry leaves, and debris. Nothing grows directly beside it. There is space around it, almost like it has been left behind or forgotten. The cracked pattern on its cap looks fragile, as if time and weather have worn it down without protection.

The sunlight is harsh and direct, not warm or comforting, which makes the mushroom feel exposed rather than supported. Even though it is part of nature, it appears separate from everything else, standing quietly without connection or movement around it.

This image reflects loneliness because it shows how something can exist in a crowded world—full of soil, plants, and life—yet still feel isolated. The mushroom becomes a symbol of quiet endurance, growing and surviving even when it stands alone

New Beginnings

Posted on by aliciaz
ISO: 100, 55mm, Shutter-speed 1/30

Artist Statement — New Beginning
I chose to photograph a small plant growing in an unexpected place because it felt personal to me. When I saw it, it reminded me that growth doesn’t always happen when conditions are perfect. Sometimes, new beginnings happen when things feel uncertain, uncomfortable, or even broken.
The plant growing through a place where it wasn’t expected made me think about times in my own life when I’ve had to grow without having everything figured out. It reflects the idea that change and new chapters don’t always start in obvious or beautiful ways. Sometimes they start quietly, in moments when you don’t even realize something new is beginning.
This image connects to the idea that life moves in cycles. Things end, situations change, and new paths appear. Even when something feels finished, it doesn’t mean growth stops , it just changes form.
To me, this plant represents hope, resilience, and the possibility of moving forward, even when you’re unsure of where you’re going next. It reminds me that new beginnings don’t have to be big or dramatic. Sometimes they are small, quiet, and still meaningful.