The Solace of Nature: A Photographer's Journey

"The images are arresting and beautiful. There is a calmness to Sims' compositions, even those that show predation, that reflects her spiritual journey."--The Baton Rouge Advocate

Photography began as a hobby for Julia Sims, but the tragic deaths of her mother, father, and brother led her to search for a means of healing from her grief. Sims eventually learned that the only time she was able to feel at peace from her loss was when she was in nature, camera in hand. Sims' craft guided her through her recovery, and her beautiful pictorial artistry comes alive on every page. With amazing clarity, each image evokes in the reader a sense of Sims' inner turmoil and the peace and harmony she found in the beauty of the natural world.

Sims has photographed environments all over the world. From Alaska to Africa, Utah to Louisiana, her collections span the landscapes and wildlife of many climates and settings. In Africa, she finds a new world filled with mystery and hope. Photographs such as those of a solitary monkey sitting in a tree and a freshly roused lion are keen examples of Sims' unique view. Images of a rainbow perfectly centered above a pair of pine trees at dusk in Ontario and the beauty of the red rock landscapes of Utah call to mind the tranquility that Sims so eagerly sought.

The elusive subtlety of serenity is acutely captured in this collection of images. Sims' unique eye for nature and photography and John R. Kemp's masterfully written dialogue make it easy to see how one can find solace in nature's beauty.