“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks” – John Muir.

We may step outside seeking fresh air or a moment of peace, but often come away with something deeper, both calming and invigorating. Time in nature softens the sharp edges of daily life, quiets the noise, and gives us space to breathe, reflect, and reconnect.

“Echoes of Nature” reflects the lingering harmony I carry in me after time spent in nature. Long after I leave the forest, the mountains, the seaside, or the quiet lakeshore, the echoes remain – the echoes that quiet my thoughts, steady my breath, and renew my sense of connection. 

When I’m out in nature, looking for something to inspire me to photograph, I use my intuition, letting my eyes and senses guide me. I search for something that calls me, stirring deeper feelings within me. I’m drawn to intimate scenes, the quiet corners that express the essence of a place. It’s in the subtle, often overlooked scenes and moments that I find the most meaning. 

The exhibit includes photographs of evocative, often smaller scenes from nature. Sometimes it’s about capturing subtle light, colors, and contrast. Other times it’s about capturing my experience in nature when making the images: the softness and silence of falling snow, or a quiet time in a forest, observing nature preparing for rest. I’m drawn to mist, fog, snow, and even haze – elements that soften the landscape and shroud it in mystery. They bring atmosphere and mood to the scenes I photograph, revealing the emotional story I seek to tell.

Nature imprints its rhythm on us. Its colors, sounds, and silence continue to shape how we see and feel long after we return home. These moments spent outdoors become inner landscapes – sources of calm, inspiration, and balance that remind us of our place within the larger living world.

Bio:

Franka Gabler, a native of Croatia, moved to California in the late 1990s and fell in love with the Sierra Nevada and California landscapes. For many years, she has been drawing her inspiration from subtle, moody, often intimate landscapes – compositions somewhere between abstract and the wider view, beyond mere documentation of a particular location. Expressing mood and capturing the essence is what she strives for in her photography. The light and atmosphere portrayed in her photographs often result in a sentimental impact and ethereal feeling. 

Franka’s photographs have been recognized internationally. In 2022, she was the overall winner of the Landscape Photography World Awards. In 2021, she received the First Place award for the Intimate and Abstract category of the Natural Landscape Photography Awards, and in 2023, she was recognized as a Highly Commended Photographer of the Year. Her black & white portfolio “Expressive Yosemite” is published in Issue No. 159 of the Lens Work Photography Magazine. She’s often invited to speak and teach at photography conferences and submit articles to landscape photography magazines. 

Franka lives in the Sierra foothills, in the small mountain town of Coarsegold, not far from Yosemite National Park.

You can learn more at www.frankagabler.com.