Presented in a sequence of fifteen film photographs shot on 120 and 35mm film, this body of work tells the story of a Midwest summer day. Alternating between scenes of sun soaked environment and carefully crafted tableaux of a couple and two sisters, Grace Coudal reveals a softness and intimacy that only seems possible on a long, hot afternoon in a Midwestern landscape.

Coudal utilizes film photography as a method to archive the present. Her creative process is articulated by film’s labor-intensive nature and true-to-life color rendering. Working with analog film requires a sensitivity and attunement similar to the craft of photographing people—both are forms of relation that require immense care and delicacy. 

Exploring themes of personhood, autonomy, relationships, and mortality, Into Your Own Hands reflects a retreat into nature and presence as a story of environment and love unfolds. As viewers we are trusted to be curious and step inside the frame as a witness to these quiet, suspended, and special moments.