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Nancy Szostak Wright, Massachusetts
Statement:
I can’t wait for “drop everything” days.
The first one arrives in spring. Snow has melted. Grass is getting greener. Buds are bursting. Plants are climbing out of their winter hibernation.
Then, seemingly all of a sudden, the peonies arrive. I notice the plump spheres perched atop the stems with a slight smattering of pink from the petals peeking out. I make a mental note to check on them regularly, so I don’t miss my annual photo shoot when the leaves cradling the blossoms give way to the unfurling.
Soft pastels. Vibrant pinks. Creamy whites. Graceful swirls. Overlapping ruffles. All presented as if they had been planning this orchestrated dance all winter. Once revealed, the overcrowded petals release and expand, much like holding out their hands to praise the skies and be noticed.
No matter what I have going on, I drop everything and click when the peonies pop. They make me stop and wonder and regale and salute Mother Nature. What I love most is the dichotomy of how complex, yet how simple the peony is.
Bio:
When Nancy is anywhere near nature, she notices every. little. thing.
She started capturing it all in 2019. Then it clicked. Literally and figuratively. Yes, she was successful in her career as a writer for 20+ years. And yes, following that journey, she loved giving back to the community, investing many volunteer hours over the next 13 years. But what brought her to her happy place the most was a little black box with a Nikon logo, strapped with a far-reaching 150-600mm lens. Affectionately called “the beast,” this camera led Nancy to a new adventure: nature, wildlife, and abstract photography.
Validation ensued, as her photos quickly earned local, regional, and national recognition. In 2021, Nancy earned first place in the National Wildlife Federation photo contest for her portfolio of 10 bee images. Inspired, she learned more about the importance of bees.
More recently, Nancy has focused on her connection to art and purpose. Not only is she finding her own voice, but she is also lending it to the area’s wildlife, as she speaks up to ban rodenticides, so animals and birds will avoid consuming (with most succumbing to) mice and rats that are poisoned by humans.
What inspires Nancy the most is connecting you with the colors, shapes, textures, patterns, and drama of nature and the everyday world around us. Based in Westborough, Massachusetts, most of Nancy’s stunning photos have New England roots. Though she is known to find photo opportunities everywhere she travels. She believes that there is beauty all around us and she blends that beauty with stories that connect us.
In Nancy’s world, every photo has a story; what she loves most is connecting her stories with yours.
