PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTOGRAPHY “ Variety of form and brilliancy of color in the object presented to patients are an actual means of recovery. – Florence Nightingale ”

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by Kristina Melvin, MD

My name is Kristina Melvin, MD. I am a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and I have been on Faculty at MUSOM in the Behavioral Health Department since 2014. I am also a wife and mother of 2 boys. I love photography and my favorite subjects are animals and my sons. Although my youngest son is not in this picture, he was the one feeding the seagulls that day and as I was watching the birds hovering above our heads I just had to try and capture their beauty. This picture was taken in Sunset Beach, NC.

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by Lee Mendenhall, MD | Class of 2020

One of the greatest joys in my life has been the opportunity to create community. There is nothing more magical than bringing together a group of strangers from diverse backgrounds and watching them develop lifelong friendships. The art is in capturing the feeling of those moments when they arise - a sentiment that is rekindled when revisiting the photo.

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by Martha Sommers, MD

I am back as a Marshall Family Medicine faculty, returning twenty-five years after completing my residency in our International Medicine Track. The years inbetween were mainly spent in Africa, training health workers and providing care. I learned the techniques for utilizing smalti glass at the Chicago Mosaic School when recovering from successful treatment for recurrent breast cancer. Now, as my shattered bones from a dogsledding accident mend, I plan my next pieces. Crafting broken pieces into mosaics helps me work through my body’s healing.

Ohi’a Lehua

by Gregory Hill, MD | Class of 2020

Once upon a time, the handsome warrior Ohi’a, in love with the beautiful Lehua, turned down the marriage proposal of the Volcano Goddess, Pele. Enraged, Pele transformed him into a gnarled gray tree. Lehua desired to be with Ohi’a again, so she appealed to the gods, who instead of restoring him to his original form, made her a flower on his branches. The ancient Hawaiians recognized the beauty of this flower and picked it from the trees for hula ceremonies, each time separating the lovers and bringing the rain of their tears to the land. Today Rapid Ohi’a Death (ROD) blights Ohi’a Lehua, leaving the fate of the island of Hawaii’s official flower in jeopardy and potentially bringing an end to this legendary love story. This photo was taken in October 2019 at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park.

Trail Sign - Romania

by Hunter White | Class of 2022

My name is Hunter White. I am from Clendenin, WV and I’m a 2nd year at MUSOM. For me, photography began as a hobby to document the things in life I found to be beautiful. I started on film to help learn the basics of shooting photos, and I fell in love with the process. I love this medium because it requires so much skill and attention to detail; I feel like I will always have room to grow as a film photographer. Photography provided a creative outlet that was stimulating in a different way than the sciences. I am thankful for photography for forcing me to slow down and enjoy the little bits of beauty in life.

Both photos were shot with a Canon A-1 on Ilford XP2 B&W Film.

Volcanic Columns - Sicily, Italy

by Hunter White | Class of 2022

Leaping Faith

by Mohammed Ranavaya | Class of 2021

My inspiration for my photography comes from an interest instilled in me by my mentor Dr. James Joy to pay attention to the world around me, especially that which often goes unseen. Whether it small creatures like a jumping spider, or relatively larger animal like a bird, there is always something to learn. Simply put, it’s like Richard Feynman PhD, a two time Nobel Prize winner in Physics stated: “It’s the joy of finding things out”.