@ang_ramm

"A Guiding Light" by Angelica Ramirez

On a warm summer morning I made my habitual trek to The Gulf. Usually I let the current take me, but that day I stood with my feet planted in the sand. I knew the only way to capture the image that I had stuck in my head was by shooting the waves at their peak, right before they curl, and this made me nervous. I had never found myself more combative against the tide than that morning. I grew frustrated as I fought to stand my ground against the rough waves as they continuously tried to beat me back. On top of everything, the image I saw in my head wasn't lining up. All I could see through the viewfinder was a giant wall of waves covering up the sun; I grew tired. Eventually, I stopped fighting and let my body float. The waves lifted me up to the sky. No longer was I behind the wall but on top of it; that's when I saw the shot. The sun, my guide, at an altar created by the ocean, my muse. When I clicked the shutter button I had no idea how validating the image I captured would be. It wasn’t until later that day, after processing the film, I saw how amazing the shot truly was. This image didn't need to be cropped or straightened nor did it need very much touch ups, it was perfect the way it was. Years of taking photos of the ocean had never meant as much to me as the day I captured this moment. The peak of the waves with the sun beaconing beyond them welcomed me in a way my photography never had before. When I captured this shot, I knew who I was as an artist and photographer.

Bio: Strictly shooting film and developing it all at home, analog photography is Angelica's one true passion. Not only does she shoot on land, but in The Gulf of Mexico as well. She uses photography to combat her fears of swimming and the open ocean. Battling depression and anxiety, she uses color manipulation to take her work to an ethereal level. Never quite happy in the real world, Angelica aims to transport herself and the viewer to paradise of her own creation.