Alexandra’s mother was a photographer and today, her brother is a professional photographer. Quite naturally, she was drawn to the art form. She has visual sensibilities that come across when you look at her photographs, which may seem ordinary in their quiet simplicity, yet they are sometimes deeper than what they appear on the surface.

“I try to see with my inner eye.”

Many of her photographs are nature shots which have an ethereal quality. She photographs yellow flowers growing up a tree trunk on the corner of Stanyan and Fell Street, an overlooked haven in Golden Gate Park and the fog as it crawls thru the trees in her backyard on Irving Street. There is a calming aspect to Alexandra’s photographs. She explains her purpose and focus.

“I want to help people see that they can relax in nature because it is not man-made and calls them back to their original home in God, where they can be wholly themselves without any fears, knowing they are completely loved.”

Using her celestial photographs, Alexandra creates handmade greeting cards with a blank note card inside. These cards caught my eye one afternoon perched on the counter at Reliable Drugs while I was waiting for a prescription. On that particular day, I bought one of her cards with Mountain Lake Park featured. There was a light mist and as I looked into that lake, I felt immediate serenity.

On my next visit to the pharmacy, Alexandra’s photograph of a muted blue Victorian with a bay window that looks out onto nearly white blossoms. She entitled this, photograph, “Victorian Blossoms”. I’m saving this card for a special moment for someone that will need the light, the flowers, and the reflection.

Alexandra’s cards can also be purchased at Archangel Books and Floribunda. Like me, she believes in supporting the businesses in our neighborhood, San Francisco’s Inner Sunset.

“Buy locally, the alternative to cyberspace. I’m a crusader on this. I’ll put my money where my mouth is.”

I assumed Alexandra used a filter to convey the dreamy essence of her photographs, but she uses an inexpensive 35mm camera.

“There is no need to invest in expensive manufactured equipment in order to create. I also like to use film because it is more organic in its processing than digital photographs. I’m also committed to using local in person photographic developers who I can see, iris to iris and not go over the Internet to do business. I want to keep this Infrastructure alive. I’m going to do my part.”

As a little girl, Alexandra set her sights high. She wanted to be like Albert Schweitzer in his caring for the sick and Florence Nightingale, too. Along with other public figures, and especially Christian saints,she drew inspiration to develop a reverence for life and to try to cooperate with God in bringing healing to humanity, to believe in solutions, and to move with courage for her beliefs.

Alexandra’s spiritual journey encompasses a deep faith in Eastern Orthodox Christianity. She has brought this way of life with her as an Artist, Secretary, and as a Case Manager, and listener. She currently now focuses on giving a listening and respectful ear to the elderly who have deep history and from whom she says she learns much.

The definition of “Orthodox” is "right thinking."

The Orthodox teaching recognizes that Christ makes it possible to partake of the Divine.

Thru Alexandra’s life and lens this is how she comprehends her own picture,

“I believe that the Holy Spirit of God touches the sight of my spirit, soul and human eye and then this chemistry of God with me, (love) then flows through the camera and beauty is seen."

What a pretty picture.

NEXT WEEK: MEET BARBER, RALPH CATALANO. 

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