“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” (Quote by H. Jackson Brown Jr. but commonly misattributed to Mark Twain.)

I came across this quote while doing research of the word ‘harbour’. What inspired and resonated with me the most was that it addressed the idea of being held back by the limitations of safety that can leave us unchallenged, stagnant and unable to grow.

For the making of the photograph, I used a model who is a very good friend. We trust each-other immensely which is important to me when making work deeply personal. In general, I am drawn to working with people in which there already exists a rapport and an understanding of each other.

In this case, I didn’t divulge much information to him about what the process meant to me or how I really planned for the final photograph to be displayed. The concept hadn’t fully formed yet so he had just as much of a role in the evolution of the process as I did. He was just as much a conduit for my own experiences as he embodied his own.

I love this kind of energetic and symbiotic relationship. It is complex but when it’s right, it works effortlessly.

The final photograph is the result of an emotional and creative process exploring risk, renewal and rediscovery. We remain secure within harbours until we are willing to leave the familiar. Much like vessels, we navigate the precarious waters of life; a surrender and a departure into the unknown.