Unseen is what fuels the imagination

It is what we don’t see (or can’t see) that fuels our imagination. As a child, I read about faraway places. I imagined New York they wrote about in the books. I dreamt of San Francisco as described by Dashiell Hammett in his book. And when I got there, I let the reality fill in the gaps. And even today, when I am going somewhere, I end up reading about a place before I look at the images. I imagine before I experience reality. Giving myself a chance to imagine allows me to romanticize the real a little.

That approach has translated into my photography as well. The mysterious is what makes a great image for me. And perhaps that is why I end up making images, which leave a lot of room for others to imagine. It is why I like fog – because it creates room for all of us to get lost, in our own self, and go someplace, without leaving this place we call home.

These images were made earlier this week during a morning walk. I used my Leica SL2 camera and the Leica SL Vario-Emarit 24-90 lens. The settings (top to bottom) are as follows: