Guided by the Wind | A Photographer’s Self-Portraits in the Swiss Alps

by Mariana Beltrame
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Guided by the wind, I spread my wings towards a destination I do not see — but I can sense.

Today, I dance with the uncertain — instead of fighting it — as if we were old friends. And we are.

We sip tea at 5 o’clock, only to laugh at the things that didn’t go as planned.

Over the past years, I have learned to leave my windows open for the cold wind to enter, along with the bees and the butterflies. And there are two ways of seeing this: as a problem or as a blessing.

I chose the blessing. Since then, every twist of fate is welcome. And, turns out, life itself has become welcome too.

(There is always more life, even when you don’t expect it.)

Today, the rational planner and entrepreneur within me shares space with the dreamer and artist I have always been. And this, in itself, feels like a beautiful triumph. Together, they complete each other.

At this moment, as I experience great changes — and uncertainty walks hand in hand with my plans — I felt the to create a visual expression of how I feel.

It seemed only fitting to use one of my visits to the Alps to weave together my photographic signature with the place I will soon call home.

In these images, two worlds collide — but ever so delicately — creating the fragile balance that holds me, standing on the tip of my toes, at the edge of the cliffs.

Past, present, and future.
One foot grounded.
The other, carried by the wind.

These self-portraits were created in Amden, Switzerland on April 26, 2025.

For three hours, I balanced my self with a remote shutter, a Canon R6, a 50mm f/1.2 lens, and a sheer piece of fabric — in complete silence, in pure connection.

And I hope that, somehow, you can feel what I attempt to capture here.

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