Kristopher Grunert
I felt a calling to travel to the desert, where I spent three days watching the shifting sands and their shadows move across the landscape. There was no one but me, the wind, the sand, the Sun, and the Moon.
On the final night, I positioned my camera (at the spot), programmed it, shed my clothing, and began to ascend the dune in darkness. Every three steps, I fired a strobe, becoming the light, marking my progress.
Once my ascension was complete, I returned to the camera and reviewed the journey feeling proud and excited. I stepped in front of the camera again, this time standing still for the 30-second exposure. I felt complete. A lunar halo then appeared for my eyes only. I was humbled. I was in complete awe.
Future Perfect is not the first time I entered the frame and become the light, but it is the first time I've revealed my body in the same image.
After compositing all nine images together to create this final image, I now see this as me looking forward to the future. The journey up the dune represents my entire life, not yet fully lived. There is no decent, only ascent and progressive leaps leading to the top.
Future Perfect is a self-portrait of me, the creator, capturing a very personal journey. It acts as a reminder that the journey is always the destination. My hope is this image will also serve as such for the collector along with every viewer.
