In Returned to dust, place is not just a backdrop but a force that holds memory, loss, and resilience. The series is rooted in the specific geography of Los Angeles County affected by the Woolsey Fire. The images talk about the impermanence of the built and natural environment by capturing the devastation and raw aftermath - charred landscapes, skeletal remains, but also nature’s quiet but persistent transformation. As the images show us what has been lost, we are reminded of just how fragile life really is, perhaps only a borrowed time before a lifetime is returned to dust.