A New Beginning - Image 3 of 3 of Kelsey J.’s SuperRare genesis NFT collection “Transcendence”, a series of newly photographed, never before seen self portraits. Combining conceptual work with landscape imagery, the collection is an interpretation of finding beauty in life’s darkest moments. Through each photograph, it depicts the process of not only facing your greatest challenges, but rising to become a better person because of them.
33.5170° N, 117.7612° W
You’ve emerged on the other side into the light, exultant. Now what will you do with your new enlightenment? Who will you choose to become?
I photographed this self portrait at the end of a month long solo road trip through Southern California. I waited for a weather window I thought would make for good golden light right before sunset, which happened to be the evening after NFT LA, where I had spent a week with like minded blockchain artists, collectors and developers, all connecting about building the future together. I was on a high from the excitement and energy of the past week, ready to go out and create the final image for this collection.
I had planned for months exactly where the last photo would be taken: a mysterious castle turret built into the seaside cliffs, seemingly emerging out of nowhere. It was a location I had been wanting to photograph for years and - with a nod to the castles included in my previous two NFT collections - I knew it was the perfect place for creating the conclusion of this new fairytale I was creating.
However, LA traffic had different plans, and as I sat on the freeway, minute after minute ticking by, I started to panic I wasn’t going to make it in time. As soon as I arrived, I hastily pulled the car over, grabbed my photo gear, and literally sprinted down the beach to the castle turret. By some small miracle, I managed to set up the shot just in time to catch the last of the golden light illuminating the tower. A sense of relief washed over me when I checked the back of the camera and knew I had captured the shot I had been dreaming of in my head for so long.
This image personifies that glorious moment of clarity you reach once you know you’ve made it through a difficult time in your life. At one point you weren’t sure if you’d ever make it out, and yet somehow here you are, triumphant. You know that because you went through the darkness, you can appreciate the light even more now, and because of that, become grateful for the challenges you were forced to overcome. Resilient, you know you’ve emerged as a better version of yourself because of all that you went through and get to move forward with a new sense of who you are and what you are meant to do with the gift of life. A new beginning.
klutch
