Speed through life, gobbling as much of it as you can? Or savor every moment? Does age play a factor? Or financial well-being? Emotional state, or physical health make a difference? In the end it is a choice we constantly make. The effects are sometimes only clear years later.

Creating art has encouraged me to take time and focus on the quality of the experience. Looking deeply enough to pick out details can be very slow going. It becomes a meditation of deliberate movement punctuated by stillness.

This gorilla, a silverback himself, is the brother of the troop leader. His family lives in Akagera Park, Rwanda. Access to humans is strictly regulated. These wild creatures will allow you to get within a few feet of them, even brushing against you at times. It’s a tricky thing to be an intruder while trying to be non-intrusive. Sometimes they’re curious about us. Other times seemingly bored. Being in their presence was a privilege that transformed me. What do you see in his eyes?