Linda Hammett Ory

: Lake Winnisquam Shoreline

: Birch Moss Lichen Leaves

: Near and Far in Lincoln’s Woods

: Concord Tree Trio

: Resting on Spruce Hill

: On the Clark Museum Trail

: By the Stream II

: Wetlands Sunset Fire

: Winter Walk by Flint’s Pond

: Sudbury River Winter Sunset

: Black Ice on Sudbury River

: White Snow, Black Water

: Freeze Thaw Branches

: Sudbury River Winter Trees

: Spruce Hill Hike

: Morning Wetlands in Lincoln II

: Morning Wetlands in Lincoln

: Gathering

Linda Hammett Ory

Hidden Treasure

Homework saved me during the pandemic. I signed up for a photography class after years of longing and two decades of raising children, guiding Girl Scouts, and serving on non-profit boards. Finally, I had a moment to myself.

The pandemic shut down everything after two lessons, but Zoom kept us going, and homework provided a lifeline during this dark time. I’m lucky to live in a town abounding with fields, wetlands, and woodlands. Escaping the near constant anxiety of Covid and social unrest, I explored my local terrain, discovering the joy of sunrise as a life-long night owl, capturing the way a root draped over a boulder, and marveling at Spring’s emergence while the world woke up from its long winter. That class started my journey toward Hidden Treasure.

Whenever I set out to photograph, I embark on a walking meditation. I am completely in the moment as I inhale and listen, inviting some sight to call me. Venturing into brambles or wading into water’s edge, I frame the shot while holding some impossible pose, scrambling to get my tripod supports in place. Back in the studio, Lightroom is useful for fine-tuning, but I shy away from making hyperreal images. Instead, I aim to create a sense of that place and maybe inspire a longing to be somewhere that you, too, can find if you set out for a meander. Sometimes the single image is enough. At others, I use multiple panels to create a more expanded view of place. An occasional figure in the frame invites you to imagine yourself there.

In all my work about nature, my intention is to share those moments of peace I find in the hidden treasures and quiet beauty of New England’s landscape, offering respite from our anxious times.

Artist Bio

Linda Hammett Ory grew up primarily in the deep South, and she spent many of those years in Georgia. Her favorite childhood pastimes took her into the woods, the local waters, or vacant lots where she imagined herself an explorer. Linda’s love of the natural landscape is her strongest photographic inspiration today.

Linda’s long-time interest in photography became a passion in 2020 when she started formal training with Emily Belz, studying continuously with her ever since. Linda has also learned photo history and skills from Suzanne Revy, Sue Anne Hodges, and Kathy Tarantola.

Linda’s work has been exhibited in a Concord Art juried members show and at The Griffin Museum of Photography. From 2016-2019 she was President of the Board for deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, an organization she remains active with today. Linda is currently developing a body of work commissioned by Manuel de Santaren, co-chair of the Guggenheim’s Photography Council, for his Boston-based design firm.