Conceptual nominee

In composing this image, I was inspired by the Charles Bukowski quote: “Drink from the well of your self and begin again.” I shot the model and her water flask in a non-descript hotel room but envisioned her in a floating box in the desert. I’m fascinated by the wild and rugged landscapes of Big Bend, where I shot the background image. My message in this piece is that if you find yourself in a virtual desert, whether a desert of empathy or inspiration, draw from your own reserves and replenish yourself, just as desert flowers do.

Barb McKinney is a fine art photographer based in Dallas, Texas focusing on conceptual and book cover photography. She collects and freezes beautiful moments and scenes in an effort to reconcile the beauty of life with its ephemerality. These little pieces tell the big stories: those of love, spirituality, the beauty of nature, and what happens when we neglect those things.
In 2020 Barb's piece "Attention Must be Paid" was selected by Aline Smithson for the Juror's Award in PhotoPlace Gallery's juried exhibition "Portraits of Self-Isolation."