The photographs in this series were taken between the day's last and first light. They correspond to a period of self-examination, mind to soul, undertaken during a sequence of losses which required learning to let go. Also reflected in the series is the concept of "power of place." The few acres surrounding my house, which served as a setting, contributed equally as an inspirational force. A humble farmstead gone wild and wooded, it had always been a sacred place to me. The land had become so familliar I knew my way through its tangle of trees and briars in total darkness. 
           I tried to bring each picture to visual form as it first appeared in my mind. Its look determined the place and means of its production. Most exposures began at dusk. The shutter was locked open for the film to expose in the quickly failing light. When it was totally dark and with the shutter remaining open, I walked into the scene to light certain areas with a flashlight or partial flash. Exposures were long, extending over several hours.
          One image influenced the next. Each photograph continues to reveal new levels of meaning, especially as it connects to another photograph. As the completed images fell into sequence, it becomes clear that many initial interpretations were far from the mark. Most surprising were the happy accidents, when a slip or a miscalculation actually added an important element. No longer does that really seem surprising.

-Diane Cummins