19th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Altered Images
Burning bridges

I created this photograph to metaphorically tell the story that all humans have experienced in some capacity, the story of the things that shackle and enslave us. Whether fears, trauma, or sorrows, we can choose to wear those shackles as bracelets or grow. Wildfires always give way to new growth, and the hope of spring always overcomes the death of winter.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 09.2020
Date Uploaded: 09.2021
Photo Location: Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
Copyright: © Kellen Bakovich