Originally from Texas, photographer and writer Kristen Welles Bartley is now based in Brooklyn, New York. Her work is largely autobiographical—influenced heavily by the untimely deaths of her parents and her experience growing up gay in the Catholic church. Her recent series, “Dear Mom,” grapples with the loss of her mother and the ensuing journey of self-discovery. Though their relationship had been strained prior to her mother’s death—in large part because of the strict doctrine of her mother’s faith— Bartley still savors the memories. In a letter addressed to her mother, she describes:

“I hope you know that despite our differences I long for those tiny moments when I’m reminded of you. They always come and go during the most random and banal of times. Sometimes whenever I’m feeling lost I go out and try to find you in the grass or the sky.”

See more from “Dear Mom,” below.