Elemental Encounters: Kathy Harms on Finding Serenity in Nature and the Urban 

Interviewed by Cluster, photographer Kathy Harms reveals how photography has become a meditative practice, a way of connecting with both nature and the shifting scenes of the city.

Harms’s work spans from quiet studies of nature in her early career to dramatic, storm-driven shoots that form her Elemental Beauty series. Now based in Porto, she describes how her contemplative lens allows her to see beauty even in the city’s most chaotic corners, seeking out textures and contrasts that evoke the calm she once found in natural landscapes.

For Harms, photography offers a means of inviting viewers to pause, absorb, and reflect deeply.

Hi Kathy! Photography as a meditative practice is a fascinating concept. How does this meditative aspect manifest in your work and your creative process?

My early photography was based in nature - birds, flowers, and dew drops. In the early days I mostly took photographs to share with my parents, who love images from nature. I began to notice that when I slowed down to listen for birds, or to look for small things like dew drops, or flowers my mind also slowed. The constant chatter in there faded to the background. I also noticed that the more time I spent looking for details in nature, the more attuned I became to those details, and the easier they were to see. Taking a walk without my camera, I still noticed the shapes of leaves or petals, or a perfectly formed raindrop about to drip off the end of a leaf. My brain became tuned in to those things, and I’m grateful for that. 

These days I live in the city of Porto, and nature isn’t quite as accessible. I still bring the practice of slowing down and observing my surroundings more deeply to the urban environment. It is a more chaotic environment, but it is possible to find calm if I slow down to watch my surroundings. There are so many interesting old buildings, doors, archways, and other elements that are pleasing to the eye. Sometimes it’s the contrast of the smoothness of an azulejo (the colourful tiles on the walls of buildings in Porto) against the rough stone of the door or window frame that catches my eye. I’m relieved to learn the meditative aspect of deeply seeing my surroundings still works in a more urban setting.

Your work often carries a narrative depth and emotional resonance. How do you go about crafting a visual story, and what are some of the challenges in conveying complex emotions through photography?

It’s never a straight line from idea to result. I rarely, if ever work in a studio or with controlled light, or in a controlled environment, for that matter. 

When I’m planning a shoot with a model, we usually start with an idea and a location. From there, the shoot unfolds in an organic way. I often only give the women I photograph the instruction to “do whatever this location inspires you to do”. 

I recently did a series of photoshoots with six women in the beautiful Fanal Forest, on the island of Madeira in Portugal. I asked the women to “commune with the trees”, and they just went with it. They each brought so much to the experience. We shot for about 40 minutes just after dawn over a few days. The light changes so quickly at dawn, and the variety of images I had by the end of the sessions were really interesting. I find that the most authentic emotions come from giving the subject the space to explore the emotion the environment brings up for them. 

Here is a link to a sampling of the images: https://kathyharms.smugmug.com/Portfolio/Fanal-Forest/n-st5Nb9

What role does exhibiting play in your creative process? Do you view exhibitions as an integral part of your artistic journey, or as a separate phase altogether?

I have often said that I love all three phases of photography - the act of being camera in hand, making an image; the act of post-processing and revisiting the image in detail; and finally, the act of sharing the image. In this day and age ‘sharing’ the image usually means on social media. 

While there are still a few communities on social media where people really engage with each other’s contributions, they are few and far between. Posting an image then waiting for ‘likes’ is not a fulfilling activity. I no longer really think of that as a ‘phase’ of creativity. Exhibiting is a much truer form of engaging with viewers, in my opinion. On social media, people may see my work, as they stumble on it in their feeds, mixed in with ads, trending dance videos, and photos of someone’s breakfast. I think people use social media to escape, not to feel. 

In contrast, when a viewer chooses to come to an exhibit and stand in front of a piece of art, they come with intention. They come to absorb the art, to seek its meaning, and to feel something. I think that is an important part of the creative process.