Lorna on a hike, 2017
Contributed by Charice Chambers
Mat-Su Senior Services Gift Shop is proud to announce the addition of an exciting new photographer to our expanding collection of outstanding Alaskan artists and artisans.
Lorna Branzuela was born in Anchorage and grew up in the shadows of the Chugach Range. With the park as her playground, Branzuela began taking pictures at an early age using her now retired Kodak Brownie Hawkeye. Hers has been a love affair with Alaska’s natural wonders. From the smallest snowflake to the largest bear, she has successfully attempted to capture a state of incredible grandeur. From her earliest days, she has spent time camping and hiking and snapping pictures.
In 1993, her close-up of forget-me-nots received a blue ribbon in the amateur division at the Alaska State Fair. Shortly thereafter, she launched her photographic business. Her passion has been to photographically share with others images they have never seen before, to find the extraordinary in the ordinary. To that end, she created, “A Day Without Shadows”. The book is a compilation of many of her unique photos and poetry, laced with tales of unique encounters with Alaska’s wild critters. The title is a reflection of her desire for the perfect photographic setting, “…a day where the sky is bright with a high, overcast cloud layer,” one where “…the colors stand out and flowers seem to glow from within.”
Branzuela celebrates Alaska’s luxury: the nearness of many wild things. Keenly appreciative and observant, Branzuela is able to capture the unique: a bumble bee that has crawled out on a fireweed leaf to steal a brief nap, legs draped over the leaf in complete relaxation, before darting off to another location. Branzuela’s photo of forget-me-nots reveals both the delicacy and tenacity of the petals giving them a truly touchable quality.
She enjoys not only recording the unique in her surroundings, but loves the play of light on colors as exhibited by her award-winning photograph, Sunset at Port of Anchorage. Her photos reflect her love for Alaska and her desire to share that love with others. Her hope is that her art will encourage the viewer to explore and experience Alaska’s wild things for themselves.
B’s book, “A Day without Shadows”, as well as a collection of her prints are available at the gift shop. Operating from 10am to 2pm in the Mat-Su Senior Services Building at 1132 S. Chugach, the shop is open to the public Monday through Friday and located across the street from Palmer Junior Middle School.
