These photographs are part of an ongoing series titled What I Hold Dear, which explores my relationship between my native home in South Dakota and my present life in California. After leaving the Midwest over a decade ago, I developed a deeper appreciation for the places that influenced my life and felt inspired to revisit them with my camera. Between 2009 and 2011, I made a series of trips back to South Dakota, seeking out places from my past that resonate with me. At the same time, I continued to photograph in California and found myself drawn to scenery that reminded me of the Midwest: open, isolated, and quiet.
My work depicts an intersection of two worlds: looking back at a place left behind and searching for a sense of place in another. Moving through landscapes and interior spaces, a narrative began to unfold as I retraced my journey thus far. The process of photographing between California and South Dakota allowed me to address the feeling of being distanced yet emotionally attached to a place I once knew so well. What remains within me, and what I hold dear, is an innate longing for the familiar feeling of home.
All images © Amanda Boe
Every week the guys at Dead Porcupine Mag choose a photographic work among their publications to be featured on Dude Magazine.
Dead Porcupine Mag, founded and curated by Raffaele Capasso and Francesco Claudio Cipolletta is a free online blog/magazine which aims to showcase talented photographers from around the world together with reporting hot topics and articles about contemporary photography. We strongly believe photography is about sharing ideas, emotions and experiences: that’s why we encourage fellow photographers and artists to contribute with their works.
