For Chadds Ford photographer Alessandra Manzotti, life as the mother of a six-year-old daughter is filled with all of the facets of parenthood, both chaotic and beautiful and busy and breathtaking. On weekends throughout the year, however, the hikes she takes with Sofia, her husband, Ian and their four dogs are the moments when she feels the meaning of her life begin to crystallize.

“These walks I have with my family are the quiet of my life,” she said. "I will be trailing behind them with my camera, see them walking ahead of me, and think, 'It really does not get any better than this.'"

For Manzotti, who grew up in the city of Milan and spent many summers of her youth in Italy exploring the hills near Lake Como with her father, the rugged and rolling terrain of Chester County serve as both a sweet memory of her birthplace and a canvas upon which she cultivates her creative eye. Her photographs not only represent a stunning reflection of where we live, but a chapter marker of peace and tranquility. 

“You don't need an expensive camera and all the talent in the world as a photographer to capture the beauty of Chester County behind a lens,” she said. “It's simply allowing yourself to see things in a different way.”

– Richard L. Gaw