Photographer Lynn Savarese is the Edge of Humanity Magazine contributor of this photo essay. From the project ‘Miami: Reflections’. To see Lynn ’s body of work, click on any photograph.

Miami has long been a mecca for sun and water lovers. But with global warming creating more and more extreme episodes of hurricanes and flooding, Miami faces the possibility of being partially or wholly submerged under water, and its grand hotel skyscrapers also face mangling and destruction from these extreme weather episodes. My “Miami Reflections” series is meant to portray–metaphorically, through increasingly abstract and agitated images reflected on the surface of the swimming pool water– how Miami appears neat and tidy in good weather, and how it might appear when partially submerged in water, and then again when fully under water.

For me, the greatest joy of photography is the experience of intimate observation of elements from the natural world. Originally from a small town in Texas, I lived and traveled throughout the world before making New York City my home in the early ‘80s following my graduation from Harvard Law School. 

Often, I think, we see without seeing. As a photographer, I seek out perspectives that encourage one to pause and look anew at something. One of my favorite subjects to explore is water, and I’ve traveled far and wide to capture water in its many manifestations---from the Hamptons, the Adirondacks, Miami, and Martha's Vineyard, to Iceland, Australia, the Caribbean, Patagonia, Europe, and Japan. From violent ocean surf and tumultuous waterfalls to gently lapping waves, rippling rivers, mirroring pools and lakes, and noble icebergs, water assumes countless roles. As the supreme sculptor of our planet as well as the most mysterious and magical element in the universe--vital to all life while offering no nutrients; breaking all rules governing other liquids and solids; eternal in age while dissolving all other matter with time--water is endlessly beguiling to observe, while also engendering a wide range of emotion, from reassuring meditative bliss to deadly terror.

I am especially enchanted with how water--with its penchant for distorting light and color and shapes--often presents itself impressionistically and even abstractly, and I tend to seek out images that metaphorically convey my own feelings, while also offering transcendence into something else.  I love how photography offers up endless possibilities for capturing "truth" and "reality," while also leaving the image-maker with plenty of latitude for creative input and more complex and layered expression. 

My work has appeared in numerous exhibitions and publications worldwide, and I have also received prestigious international recognition, including being named a Finalist in the Magnum Photography Awards 2016 international competition and named a Finalist in the 11th Edition of the Julia Cameron Award for Women Photographers in each of five categories--Nature, Landscape, Children, and Open Theme. 

Special recognition for my water images also includes winning the Director's Award in PhotoPlace Gallery's Water 2019 Exhibition juried by Elizabeth Avedon and the Visitor's Award and Honorable Mention in the A. Smith Gallery's 2015 Water Exhibition.

All images and text © Lynn Savarese