On Photographing Glacial Erratics

Glacial erratics are distinct from other boulders and large rocks as they often appear to have been dropped randomly in the landscape. They are found on mountain peaks, in forests and deserts, on beaches, and underwater, appearing and disappearing with the tides. Their mere existence stretches the imagination—to another era and a different world, distances of time and space that are unfathomable.

When I encounter a glacial erratic, I walk around it, over and under it, to see it from above, below, up close and far away, to understand it from different perspectives. A boulder’s character changes from side to side, at different times of day and in different weather. As solitary features in a landscape, erratics represent timelessness. I see and photograph boulders as mysterious sculptures in the landscape and intend to document them but also to leave the scale and location intentionally ambiguous. A photograph can make a small boulder appear colossal and unmovable, or make a large boulder appear precariously perched as if it might tip over. I appreciate an image that has more questions than answers: Is this rock big enough to climb, or can I hold it in my hand? How does it balance and not roll away? How did it possibly get there?

09/2025