An Elephant on My Shoulder and Other Attachments
A Book by Sara Leith-Tanous
Come with me for a short while. We'll discover where and how far —
we'll find connections we hadn't seen before and images of kinship in unlikely places.
An Elephant on My Shoulder and Other Attachments brings together 110 gelatin silver prints made between 2021 and 2025, drawn from locations spanning California, East Africa, Italy, Scandinavia, Spain, Yorkshire, and Maui — united not by geography but by the photographer's felt sense of connection to each subject.
The photographs move between the human and animal worlds, between intimate portraits and open landscapes, between moments of tenderness and the precariousness of living things. Recurring themes — ebb and flow, kinship, the act of touching through seeing — are woven together with the photographer's own spare, lyrical texts. A reflection by photographer and educator Jacqueline Thurston accompanies the images.
"It takes courage and steadfastness to make small, introspective gelatin silver prints in an era that celebrates large-scale work with digital sharpness, saturated colors, and concept-driven content. Like poems, her images require solitude, introspection, and presence to be appreciated."
— Jacqueline Thurston
110 images | Printed by Meridian Printing | First Edition 2026
$65 | To purchase, please contact here.
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