about

Hello! My name is Stephanie Manzo and Cyclical Nature is a collection of photographs and musings centered around human nature and Mother Nature.

I first started Cyclical Nature in 2012 as I was transitioning from a career in renewable energy, green building and sustainability towards work in health coaching and filmmaking. A few years later, I took on the roles of social media/marketing manager and assistant producer for Pickathon music festival. Since I was an independent contractor for Pickathon, Cyclical Nature allowed me to moonlight with other freelance video production, editing, marketing and storytelling projects.

In 2019, I left Pickathon and went on a two-week trip to Los Angeles. In the midst of exploring ancient canyons, old trails and new sights, we happened upon an exhibit of Annie Liebovitz‘ early work at Hauser & Wirth. I found a DIY kit to make a film camera and I took it back with me to Oregon. A little over a month later, I was moving all my belongings (and that DIY camera kit) down to L.A. in a sudden life change. A few weeks later, I spent the necessary hours to put it together and have been working with it ever since. The film and double exposure photos here are the result of that process and exploration.

The photographs and content of Cyclical Nature are aimed at investigating the beauty and wonders of this astounding, sometimes chaotic, often synchronous world we share. Film photography carries with it a beautiful sense of intention and planning. Double exposure photos perfectly encapsulate the cyclical nature of time- Past, present and future seamlessly integrate in each and every moment.

Wishing you a journey filled with joy, love, and beauty. There is so much to explore in this lifetime…

-Stephanie