The magazine of the art-form of the photo-essay “A free, really high quality photo-essay magazine. Fabulous!” Stephen Fry. British actor, writer and film & documentary maker

March 2015 back issue

by Rachel Molina

America, without a doubt, is my favourite place to photograph. The sheer scale of the country is not something you can really describe. Even the skies just seem bigger. The west coast state of California is a little under twice the size of the UK. But more than anything, the one thing about this beautiful state that is so appealing is the light; a light that seems to hit from all angles with deep warm tones and an energy that I can’t say I’ve seen anywhere else. The clarity and sparkle that you find in the mountains of Mammoth Lakes and Yosemite all the way down to the dusty yellows, heat and richness of the desert. It’s a special combination that I’m always trying to capture when I’m there. This selection of images shot on film and digital, start at the Pacific Ocean, travel through the deserts and end in the peaks of Yosemite. They were taken over two trips to California during August 2013 and December 2014.