In January 2020, I was in the midst of preparing to open my new gallery on Commercial Street in Provincetown, and was excited to get ready for another season. I was looking forward to exhibiting many new images that I'd taken during my travels across the country - and I especially love photographing our amazing National Parks after dark.
But then Covid-19 spread like wildfire through Massachusetts and continued across the country. When I realized there wouldn't be a "normal" tourist season in Provincetown, I decided not to open my gallery.
Instead, I helped my family, friends, and myself stay healthy - and when things finally settled down, I once again returned to focus on two of my favorite areas: the Cape Cod National Seashore (literally in my backyard and where I first discovered my passion for night photography) and out in Arizona and the Southwest where my son lives.
With so many challenges facing us today, whenever I go outside at night and look up and see the millions upon billions of stars out there in the infinite sky, whether it's along the Atlantic coast or out in a vast desert, I still feel inspired, hopeful, and happier for that moment in time.
I hope that when you see my photographs, you feel some of that too.
Eileen Counihan, July 2022