The word Roke is a British one which means vapour, sometimes smoke, fog or mist. It could also reference steam. In my photo practice I look for images that do not show everything, that have some components obscured. It reminds the viewer that what we see is seldom everything that exists.

Roke is not required to hide elements of the truth. There are many images that purport to show something that is not true to what happened or what was there when the photo was taken.

The ghostly images in Victorian photos intended to display the dead or angels. The reenactment of the flag raising at Iwo Jima. Millions (Billions?) of happy families on Christmas cards.

I consider this series to be a little more honest in its obfuscation. But that too may be an illusion I am seeking to fool myself with.

Long drives on highways along the shore of Lake Superior in Northern Ontario are fraught with roke. We see what is coming at us and what is ahead, but only just. A straight-away gives us room to react, but the fog can be thicker and the curves sharper, making for a much more frightening experience than the one here.

In this image, a bright but foggy morning provided an ethereal glow near the water, but the darkness of the trees provides an ominous path into the light.