At the Water's Edge

At the Water’s Edge is a photography series by local resident Rachel King exploring the seasonal shifts and subtle transformations along the shore of Jamaica Pond.

Working in the field of addiction and recovery, the artist began turning to photography in the wake of the overdose epidemic, intensified by COVID-19, as a way to connect more deeply with her local landscape and community. What began as a desire to document the familiar evolved into a daily photographic journal, with an emphasis on slowing down, paying attention, and appreciating the small changes that can easily go unnoticed.

King was particularly drawn to the water’s edge, where waves, melting ice, changing light, and reflections continually alter the landscape. At the intersection of water and shore, recognizable forms transform into unexpected patterns and abstract shapes, offering new perspectives on a beloved local landmark.

The daily practice of photographing the pond also became a way of marking time and noticing the passage of seasons. Each image reflects fleeting conditions that may never appear in quite the same way again. Together, the photographs form a visual record not only of the changing landscape, but of the act of looking itself.

Through At the Water’s Edge, Rachel King invites viewers to pause and look closely at a place that may already feel familiar. The series considers how sustained attention can reveal beauty and possibility in the everyday, and how even a landscape we know well can continually offer new ways of seeing.