Norwich Photographer Publishes Book PDF Print E-mail
nthol08web_page_08_image_0001The Upper Valley Land Trust presents Out My Back Door, a book of photographs taken by land-owner Shiela Swett on her conserved lands in Norwich and Sharon, Vermont. Shiela Swett is a retired teacher who has taken up amateur photography—being a nature lover it was only natural for her to choose the outdoors as her creative inspiration. Her book is speckled with brief insights into Vermont’s ever-changing seasons. For fun, Swett spends time hunting for unique, dramatic, and beautiful elements in the natural world—that she finds by simply stepping outside her door.

The book shows readers the simple joy that can be found in a flower, a butterfly, a bird, a mushroom, or a tree. As Mary Holland, a local naturalist, author and photographer says, “The book is really a gem. The colors, subject matter, composition and perspective are wonderful.” Swett uses grand, scenic views alongside close-ups to demonstrate the multiplicity of perspectives that can be found in the Upper Valley landscape. Her photographs invite other nature enthusiasts to do the same—pick up their cameras and go for walks along the trails and paths scattered around the region, some on lands conserved with the Upper Valley Land Trust.

The evident enthusiasm and vibrant color to be found in Swett’s photographs demonstrate the way in which protected land can inspire creativity. This explains why the Land Trust chose to collaborate with Bragg Hill Press and Desk Top Studio in the book’s production. UVLT president, Jeanie McIntyre says this of the partnership: “We are proud to offer this opportunity to see nature in the Upper Valley through the eyes of Shiela Swett. Her photographs in Out My Back Door reflect her fascination with the outdoors in all its wonder and our commitment to keep it so—forever.” Out My Back Door can be purchased at the Norwich Bookstore, Long River Studios in Lyme, NH or at UVLT’s office on Buck Road in Hanover.