"Deep Roots" is more than a collection of pretty pictures. The photographs reflect a past I was aware of but only came to fully appreciate when seeing it through my camera lens. It is an exhibition of photographs from my visit to Scotland this past winter, most of which were taken while touring the Northern Highlands and Isle of Skye. I used Photoshop to give the photographs an old-world aesthetic, reminiscent of those from the 19th and early 20th centuries. My artistic style typically would call for editing them until the photographs took on a more illustrative, sometimes grungy, or painterly look. However, this show demonstrates my skills as a photographer, simple and unvarnished, and does not compromise the inherent beauty of the photographs through digital manipulation.

"Deep Roots" is about heritage and an idea I call "distant nostalgia." I am of Scottish descent, and going to the land of my ancestors and exploring the land they called home, I felt a deep sense of pride. …a feeling that resonated deep within me and made me proud of who I am. Despite being an American and multiple generations removed from the land, it was as if this pride was baked into my own DNA, passed down through time, like roots that burrow in the ground and grow stronger through time, creating a deeper connection between me and the land, despite living across an ocean. It could also be the result of Americans' pride in individuality, where we celebrate anything that makes us unique amongst our peers, including heritage.

While this exhibit is personal to me, it evokes a wistful longing for the past, no matter your ancestry. The crumbling castles, statues of heroes from long ago, and the vast and breathtaking natural beauty of the Highlands epitomize Scotland's long, rich history. My photographs show the present but transport you to a time far in the past.