Tytia Habing: The Gift

Tytia Habing: The Gift by Aline SmithsonFebruary 3, 2016

©Tytia Habing, Milkweed

“Our greatest responsibility is to be good ancestors.” Jonas Salk

I had the great pleasure to meet with Tytia Habing at the Filter Photo Festival in Chicago this past October. I was familiar with Tytia’s work, but seeing her stellar prints in person brought the photographs to a whole new level of appreciation. Tytia is a participant observer of family, in particular, her son and his relationship with the world around him. For her project, The Gift, Tytia has created an intimate celebration of the natural world, each object lovingly held as an offering, each a gift for us to examine the beauty of nature in connection to ourselves. Tytia currently has work in the exhibition, Time In: Refocusing the Lens on Motherhood, curated by Larry Gawel, at the Elder Gallery at the Nebraska Wesleyan University running through February 21, 2016.

Tytia lives and works in Watson, Illinois very near where she grew up on a working farm. Having spent most of her adult life living in the Cayman Islands, she moved back to her roots a few years ago. She holds degrees in both horticulture and landscape architecture and is a self taught photographer. Tytia’s been published in Lenscratch, Fraction Magazine, Shots Magazine, Adore Noir, Black + White Magazine, The Sun and National Geographic to name but a few. Her work has been featured in joint exhibitions nationally and internationally, and she has an upcoming solo show in the works. Most notably, her work was shortlisted for both the Black and White Photographer of the Year 2015 sponsored by Leica, and Critical Mass 2015.

©Tytia Habing, Blue Bird

THE GIFT 2011 – 2015

Ever since I can remember, I’ve been taught to love nature. I was encouraged to explore the land we lived on, to walk through woods and wander through meadows, to treat the earth gently and respect my fellow creatures. The smallest of animals are of import, and even weeds have purpose. I now teach my son the same, that this beautiful earth is a gift we’ve all been given and it’s our job to be good stewards, not only for us but for future generations. Working on this project for the past five years has opened my eyes wide to the intricacies and beauty of nature like never before.