A South Austinite who now resides in Buda, Desiree Steele has over three decades of experience behind the camera and is an accomplished nature and portrait photographer. Her art explores themes of healing, faith, and home.

Desiree sees beauty everywhere. To her, it’s never a matter of conventional standards but rather an appreciation of the wonder and grace that exists in all of God’s creations and the people and places that are often ignored.

The collection, Backroads and Backporches: Healing Through Photos, is the culmination of decades of technique meeting with a hard-fought healing journey. As Desiree would put it, sometimes life knocks you on your ass. For her, the past seven years have seen her grieve the loss of many family members, including her beloved grandmother, who had been a rock for her growing up. Around the time of her grandmother’s passing, wounds surrounding early childhood experiences with sexual assault surfaced. A skin cancer diagnosis, a botched breast reduction, and compounding grief kicked Desiree around more still. But during her lowest moments, her faith was always there for her. And through her artistic practice and the help of others, she’s found the healing power of openness, community, and, critically — nature. Desiree’s photos help focus and calm her when anxiety attacks come on.

Until she manages to get a tree in the middle of every home, her collection aims to bring that healing power to as many people as possible, especially those who lack access to be out in nature themselves.

If you’re friends with her kids, you might know her as Momma Steele. If you’ve been on her back porch, you’ll likely have tried some of her home cooking, which you’ll see is every bit as colorful as she is. If you are a person who exists in this world, she’ll invite you to slow down, take a less-traveled road, and see the beauty in yourself and all around you.

Learn more about Desiree Steele:

Instagram: @Backroadsandbackporches

Website: www.desireesteele.photography