Viewfindings: Slivers of light in a tempestuous time

Lockdown 2020, Bainbridge Island WA - one voice, one year, one island, one eye's view. Collective work of original photos, poetry, and prose reminding us that even in the midst of crisis, there is a bounty of beauty and wonder to bring joy to our hearts and hope to our souls.

When Washington mandated its lockdown, the beauty of spring beckoned. The author decided to capture eclectic scenes during walks and bike rides on Bainbridge Island. It provided her with a reason to be outside in nature. In the midst of winter's dark days, still isolating, still fearing infection, she challenged herself again - to share the photos taken at the beginning of Covid and describe what those captured moments meant now, reflecting on how the pandemic had changed her life priorities. Making this book and immersing herself in the process has been her survival lifeline during Covid.

To help you visualize the context for these moments, Bainbridge Island, the size of Manhattan, is a 35-minute ferry ride from Seattle. It is a small-town, rural community of about 26,000 people, and blessed with considerable access to walking trails, boating opportunities, and bicycle paths. The island is a favorite getaway for mainland locals and tourists visiting Seattle.

A native of the Pacific Northwest, Melody Mociulski was especially drawn to photography and creative writing in 2008 when she started traveling to SE Asia each year for international development work. Through daily posting of blogs and photos capturing country news, she developed a love for this form of creative expression. Through visual and written accounts, she endeavored to convey the beauty and pain witnessed in these amazing people and cultures. Melody would say she is more adept at photographic composition than the technical aspects. Viewfindings represents Melody's first attempt at poetry. Although intimidated by poetry at first, she now eagerly embraces it. Melody hopes you will enjoy Viewfindings as much as she enjoyed making it.