Freedom is one of the greatest ideals in America and there is something driving me — perhaps a desire or an ignorance — to want to explore and better understand its meaning and connection to life.

Available July 4, 2023

To create a thread between these conversations I am asking people the question — When do you feel free?

This analog photography series will pair portraits of people with their handwritten perspectives.

These fragmented responses will then become a part of a collection published as a large format book by Trope Reader.

Freedom is...

When Do You Feel Free? is both the final project for my MFA program at CIIS (California Institute of Integral Studies) and will be published as my first book by Trope Reader.

Over the course of 2022, I am traveling across America in my truck alongside my dog, Moose with the intention to explore what it means to be free. By connecting with people across all walks of life, I will be engaging in conversation and experience around the word freedom.

Preview of the work

Hover over the portraits to reveal each person's answer to the question, "When Do You Feel Free?"

When do you feel free?

Photographer Ryland Hormel traveled across the United States from Alaska to Florida, asking people this very question. The result: a collection of over 100 hand-written responses, alongside photographs that put the answers in context.

Voices across america

Coffee Table Book

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Available July 4, 2023

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