Photographer Carol Hicks has what may be described as an authentically playful and experimental relationship with nature, her subject matter. She reveals the hidden beauty often overlooked in our surroundings such as the perfection in the face of a flower and the mirrored reflections in water or by pinpointing a portal to the heavens.Carol's photos makes one feel that they have been invited into a private sanctum where nature's rhythms and colors are exposed in all its glory. Up close she captures the impeccable beauty and essence of the flowers which she has grown in her garden. Carol describes flowers as "...gateway to another space and time. Each flower seems to be its own world that can cast a spell over you."

"Recently, I have been stepping outside the box and using the sun as a focal point in my work, which has rewarded me with the most beautiful array of colors." Carol spent three weeks at Fruitlands Museum experimenting playfully with what many of us might dismiss as nuisance lens flare. In this collection of photos, each picture contains colorful shaped cones that appear to be coming out of the earth collecting the sun. Instead of setting them aside, she put them out there to let people respond to them as they will. They hint of a relationship in the landscape between heaven and earth. Part of what excites Carol about her work as a photographer is this surprise factor. What will she see next? What will come through the lens that her eye may have missed?

The sunsets (below) are also part of a series of photographs taken at Fruitlands in the fall. Carol shot the same point in the horizon every minute for forty-seven minutes. At the onset of her shooting, the day presented as overcast but then the sky cooperatively cleared at sunset to provide a magnificent backdrop. "Nature continually provides me with awe-inspiring, life-defining moments that I feel fortunate to witness-- and even more grateful for when I realize I have my camera on me. For me, the difference between a good photograph and a great one is simply just being in the right place at the right time and allowing it to find you."

Born and raised in Calgary, Canada, Carol has taken photographs since she was a young child. "Armed with a 110 film camera, I began trying to imitate my Uncle Gord who I looked up to immensely. I was inspired by his ability to live life through his own adventure, which was always centered by his connection to nature." With the birth of the digital age, her exploration of photography really took off. It allowed her instant feedback and provided an opportunity of self-education in the exploration of light, exposure, and aperture through a process of trial and error. Initially starting with a simply point-and-shoot digital camera around the birth of her third child, she gradually worked her way through several cameras until she was able to master a digital SLR. She says, "Because I do not have any formal traditional training in photography, I feel I am not confined by any hard and fast rules; I just have the privilege of creating."

"Looking through my lens allows me to slow down and live my life more authentically. The only thing that matters is what lies right in front of me. This process brings a heightened aliveness of the senses. Later, I am instantly transported back to that moment simply by viewing the photograph. My work is inspired by the beauty in which we are surrounded, that we can see, as well as and perhaps more importantly, that which we cannot."

Recently Carol has shifted from showing individual works to defining her work by collection. She explains, "In doing so I feel that by showing my photography as a body of work, it gives the viewer a greater ability to appreciate each piece." Carol has created a website to display her work which you can view by visiting www.caroljhicks.com.