Close Look, Deep Focus

I’ve always loved owls. The way they move. The way they watch. The way they wait.

I photograph for Vermont State Parks, usually on hikes in the Champlain Islands. Niquette Bay is a favorite. I’ll sit with an owl for hours, waiting for that perfect moment. People ask how I stay so still. But I don’t get bored.

What you think you see isn’t always there. We miss details, and that’s what I love to share in my work. I think in close-ups, bringing those subtleties to the forefront.

That way of seeing started early. When I turned 8, I got a Brownie box camera. That little gift changed everything.

Being adopted created many barriers for me as a child. I always felt different. I struggled in school. That camera gave me something steady.

As an adult, I was never without a camera, snapping photos everywhere I went. I found I could hide behind the lens while still capturing connection.

I met my husband at Knight Point State Park. He was the first park ranger there. After he passed, I stopped photographing for a while. Slowly I started back up again, but my vision had shifted. My photos became more intimate: a mother, dad, and sister holding a child who won’t survive. A family gathered at the Respite House. It felt natural and good to help others with their grief.

I’ve worked with Home Health & Hospice for more than eight years, setting up remote patient monitoring. I don’t wear scrubs. I don’t look medical. That’s on purpose. People have had their fill of white coats by the time I arrive.

Some people are lonely. I take my time. If someone seems especially isolated, I might show them one of my photos—an owl, a fox, a quiet trail. Something to talk about. I like moving through places slowly, noticing what others overlook. Whether I’m in the woods or in someone’s living room, I always try to look closer. Listen longer.

Raven Schwan-Noble is a telemonitor technical assistant for University of Vermont Health Network - Home Health & Hospice. She has been with us for eight years.