Is the camera over or under the surface? Am I over or under the surface? Am I posing for effect, or am I fully focused on the technical challenge of capturing this weird photo? Am I enjoying the peace alone in the middle of the lake, or am I just trying not to drown? As with many divided truths, neither is wrong. Sometimes what is shown in the photo drives the story, and sometimes how it was made is the driver.

These photos are an ongoing project, from swimming in a lake called Walden Pond near my home. They capture my myriad emotions as an open-water swimmer: the goofy fun of swimming in the sun, the thrill of seeing the bottom again after crossing the bottomless middle, the second wind when my tired muscles find new motivation to return me to shore, and the solitude when I’m the last one there.