Hi, my name is Megan Gallagher, and I’ve been photographing rocks, mushrooms, and the same single view of the AuSable River since 1995, when I got my first camera (a Kodak Cameo).

 

I was educated in black and white film photography, as well as alternative process printing at Alma College in 2007/08.  I currently shoot with a Canon 5d Mk III DSLR, and a Nikon F3 film camera (which was literally found in a box somewhere.)

 

I am unapologetically neurodivergent, which gives me a unique perspective when making work (and deciding what sort of work to make).  The passage of time is of particular interest to me, the way it moves quickly in some places, and much more slowly in others.  As someone who has always seemed to exist at a slower pace than everyone else around me, places where time runs deepest and slowest are my favorites.  This manifests itself as a body of work done primarily in rural and natural environments, but also encapsulates occasional forays into the very urban.  Cities are curious creatures, the razors’ edge of style butts up against buildings that have existed since the Civil War.

 

I invite you to explore Lux Aeterna, my current body of work. In the fall of 2021, I embarked on an ambitious project to visit and photograph each of the extant lighthouses on the Great Lakes. In doing so, I am exploring the themes of preservation versus entropy, the emotional life of inanimate objects and the concept of responsible stewardship, both environmental and personal. Lux Aeterna is still very much a work in progress, due in no small part to the fact that there are over 300 lighthouses extant on the Great Lakes.

 

On that note, if you or someone you know currently resides in a Great Lakes lighthouse, or owns property on which one sits, please feel free to reach out, as I would love to speak with you regarding respectful access to these historical sites.