[Photography] Interview with Rebecca Dietrich

[KELP JOURNAL] These photographs, Rebecca, are fabulous. They stood out to me because of the color scheme. The pastel-like quality of the blues and yellows. Did you do anything special to capture those colors? 

[REBECCAS DIETRICH] Thank you. The most important thing I did to capture those colors was simply to be patient. I try to wait for that perfect moment when the sun is low enough in the sky to hint at sunset, but still high enough to bathe everything in daylight. That in-between light has a softness to it that brings out those pastel tones naturally.

[KJ] I am not sure what it is exactly about these photos, maybe the framing, maybe the focus, maybe it’s the collection together, but they feel a bit surreal. Life, but better, simpler. And that got me wondering what you intended when capturing these images. What were you seeing and what did you want to convey?

[RD] These photographs were taken near my hometown. I grew up in Toms River, New Jersey, and spent my summers in Seaside Heights. I moved away when I was ten, and this was my first trip back since then. It was the off-season, so the boardwalk was mostly empty. I wanted to capture the stillness of the place and the deep sense of nostalgia I felt being back after all those years.

[KJ] The photos, collectively, seem to tell a story but I always wonder if that it actually true or maybe just our human impulse to create a narrative. As an award-winning photographer, you must have an inkling as to which way the scale tilts?

[RD] Truth be told, I consider myself a storyteller. When I take photographs, I try to find small moments that suggest something larger. A close-up of sand might seem unremarkable at first, but there’s always more beneath the surface. Who left those marks? A family enjoying a quiet afternoon at the beach? Two lovers on an evening walk? Or just the wind, brushing past after a storm?

[KJ] I find it so interesting that you have a background in psychology. Do you ever use your knowledge to further your photography? 

[RD] Absolutely. I’m always thinking about emotion, body language, and unspoken narratives. Whether I’m photographing people or empty spaces, I try to capture something that resonates on a psychological level: a sense of longing, stillness, connection, or even tension.

[KJ] What’s your origin story? What drew you to photography and how did you get your start?

[RD] I grew up with a mom who loved photography. Wherever we went, her camera came with us. Over time, I started experimenting myself, at first just for fun. I never really thought about taking it seriously until my first trip abroad to Morocco. I ended up with so many striking images that it felt like a waste to leave them just sitting on social media. So I started submitting my work to magazines and journals, and to my surprise, people really connected with it. Eventually, I took the leap and began submitting to art galleries as well.

Rebecca Dietrich is a photographer and poet from Atlantic City. Her work has been featured in Welter, Seaside Gothic, Third Street Review, and elsewhere. She is a member of the Noyes Museum of Art, where two of her photographs were featured in the Homegrown Expressions: Art Members Unveiled exhibit. Rebecca holds a B.A. in Psychology from Stockton University. You can follow her on Instagram @limericks_and_asphodels