I attended Haverford College, where I studied neuroscience and cognitive psychology. I truly did love science, and I thought I would pursue an academic career, but by my early 30s, I was well and truly burned out. Looking for a hobby, I took an introductory photography class taught by Ri Anderson (rianderson.com) at the DeCordova Museum School (decordova.org). It was my first exposure to photography as an art form, and I was instantly smitten. After that class, I signed up for Ri’s Intro to Black and White darkroom class at the Boston Photo Cooperative, which also had a community darkroom. I experienced nothing short of awe when I watched an image form in the developer’s tray for the first time. I was hooked. I began taking consulting jobs in the computer industry, so I would have more free time to pursue photography. The Boston Photo Cooperative was over an hour from my house, yet it quickly became my home away from home, and it was clear to me that I had found my life’s passion. In the years that followed, I realised I wanted to pursue fine art photography.
I began the Allowed to Grow Old series shortly after caring for my mum, who had Alzheimer’s disease. The experience had a profound effect on me and forced me to confront my own mortality. I am terrified of growing old, and I started photographing geriatric animals in order to take an unflinching look at this fear. As I met rescued farm animals and heard their stories, though, my motivation for creating this work changed. I became a passionate advocate for these animals, and I wanted to use my images to speak on their behalf. The project officially got underway in 2008, when I met Petey, the elderly Appaloosa horse who inspired me to photograph old animals. That autumn, I visited Winslow Farm (winslowfarm.com), a sanctuary about two hours away from where I live in Salem, Massachusetts, and I made several repeated trips throughout the season.