Photographer Karen Kallins is the Edge of Humanity Magazine contributor of this photo essay. From the project ‘Submerged’. To see Karen ’s body of work, click on any photograph.

Radiant Awakening: Light and motion surround the emerging blooms, evoking renewal and a moment of becoming, when something begins to rise and come into its own.

Fiery Genesis: Chaos and beauty collide in a moment of creation, as something new begins to take form.

Lumina Flora: Gentle currents of light move through the composition, where fragility and vitality exist in delicate balance.

Inner Emerald: A luminous core emerges from within, reflecting growth, renewal, and the strength of something unfolding.

Submerged explores the tension between control and release. Suspended botanicals form the foundation of each composition, while colored ink moves through water in unpredictable currents. The images exist in an in-between space, constructed, yet never fully contained.

As the ink disperses, forms emerge and dissolve, suggesting emotional states such as anxiety, tranquility, and joy. What begins as a precise arrangement quickly gives way to something more fluid, as the pigment drifts and expands, taking on a life of its own.

These works hold that moment of transition, where structure loosens and control slips. Within these shifting depths, viewers are invited to recognize their own emotional undercurrents.

Crimson Whispers: Forms emerge and recede, creating a sense of depth and quiet transformation within a fluid, immersive space

Silent Droplets: Beads of water cling and rise, holding a moment of stillness where time softens and the smallest details come into focus.

Delicate Fusion: Soft veils drift and intertwine, revealing and concealing what lies beneath, suggesting vulnerability and introspection.

Drifting: Suspended in motion, a slow, quiet journey unfolds, shaped by softness and compassion.

Cosmic Blossom: Shimmering textures disperse and expand, suggesting a universe contained within a single, luminous form, evoking a sense of wonder and vastness.

Karen Kallins is a self-taught photographer with a background in advertising from Carnegie Mellon University and an MBA in finance and marketing from NYU’s Stern School of Business.

Her work has received international recognition and has been exhibited in juried shows.

Her interest in photography began at a young age, evolving from early snapshots into a deeper exploration of the medium as both craft and artistic expression. After learning darkroom techniques in college, she became drawn to photography’s ability to transform everyday subjects into something more evocative.

Her work focuses on perspective, color, and composition, creating images that invite viewers to pause, look closer, and experience the familiar in unexpected ways.

All images and text © Karen Kallins