LINDSI HOLLEND: HEIGHTENED VISION By Michelle Joseph

IN 2014, LINDSI HOLLEND was at a low point in her life. On the outside, her life seemed perfect, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. She wasn’t able to understand what she was feeling.

After watching Lindsi struggle with her emotions, a close friend stepped in and encouraged Lindsi to speak with a professional. After meeting with a doctor, she was diagnosed with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). She was prescribed medication and, within six weeks, life as she knew it had changed. In that short time, Lindsi responded exceptionally well to medication and she felt a renewed sense of self.

She felt she had a new ability to see the intricate patterns and colours in simple everyday objects with a deep intensity. “It was as if I was looking through a magical pair of goggles and could see colour where I once saw only black and white,” she says.

Wanting to share her new skill and capture her newly heightened vision, Lindsi bought a DSLR camera and launched her new photographic venture, Lindsi Beth Photography.

Being a self-taught photographer gave Lindsi a sense of artistic freedom. She wasn’t tied to convention or rules. She simply took pictures of things that brought her joy. Lindsi describes her photographs as abstracts. “I take something that seems ordinary and turn it into something extraordinary by shifting my perspective,” she explains. When Lindsi was able to shift her vision, she realized that she could use her skills to shift her mindset as well.

Lindsi says, “I use photography to capture and create visual poetry through abstractions. My images are born from my unique creative process and a personal state of internal perspective. I am so grateful for the opportunity to step away from the chaos, and create something engaging and inspiring.” She expresses her desire to give the viewer the space to stop and consider the world from a new viewpoint. In addition to capturing the world around her, she is heavily inspired by long exposures of light, water, and movement, which she showcases in her Expansion and Flow series. Lindsi constantly seeks “the bright side of things.”

Lindsi enjoys making blank walls more impactful, joyful, and colourful. Her typically large-scale images are mounted to acrylic and aim to exude happiness, whimsy, and fun. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lindsi adjusted her production plans and began selling framed prints online, in addition to her large, statement pieces.

Lindsi believes that if there is something creative to try, do it. It doesn’t matter who likes it; it doesn’t matter who wants it. She feels compelled to focus on things that bring her joy. Photography has given her a renewed sense of wonder and delight that she enthusiastically shares with everyone she meets.