Rift: Unearthing the Divide Along the San Andreas Fault (2022 - in process)

Rift: Unearthing the Divide Along the San Andreas Fault explores the parallels between the landscapes along the fault line and the ideological divides shaping contemporary society. Spanning 800 miles, the San Andreas Fault is a powerful natural boundary between two tectonic plates that are in constant, opposing motion. This geological tension serves as a metaphor for the ideological rifts and polarization that define today’s social climate. Just as the fault line is often invisible to the casual observer, so too are the underlying forces that shape our beliefs and perspectives.

I’m using an infrared camera, which captures light beyond our visual spectrum, to illuminate the unseen and remind us that other perspectives exist beyond our own viewpoint. The resulting images, which are captured directly along the fault line, are tinged with an otherworldly quality. They evoke both the division and beauty of the state, shaped by both nature and human intervention. The gold-toned palette and accents reference California’s paradoxical identity as "the Golden State"—a place where the promise of prosperity often contrasts with the fractures lying just beneath the surface.

With a background in geology and a lifetime spent living within five miles of the San Andreas Fault, I bring a deeply personal connection to the land I photograph. In this project, I move beyond a purely geological interpretation, using the land and built environments as visual narratives for the fractured, tribal, and often contentious society we navigate. Throughout my travels for this project, I encountered a nuanced, diverse beauty thriving on a fault that has endured for thirty million years—offering a poignant reminder of the land’s resilience and society’s potential to reconcile its divisions.