A moment of discovery in a town called Eureka: Best photo by Curran Hatelberg | Photography

IIn 2013, I had been living in New York for a long time. The social life was vibrant, but I never figured out how to take photos there. So when a friend sent me details about a teaching job in Eureka, California, I jumped at the chance. When I arrived, I found Northern California to be a stunning, beautiful place, and it inspired a new body of work almost immediately.

Eureka was the first time I had stayed for so long in one place. During those months, I saw the same people day after day. I taught two days a week at the local community college, and the rest of the time I roamed freely, exploring, meeting people, and taking photos. I focused entirely on my work, almost like a residency.

Northern California is a rugged place that feels like the farthest edge of the world. I lived in this old house on top of a hill where people rented furnished rooms. You could see the Pacific Ocean and the redwoods from the upstairs windows, and people were coming and going unannounced. The whole time, I had this feeling that I could disappear and no one would notice. I’ll get that feeling from others too. Many of the people I met in Eureka were on the run, either from their own lives, or from a country they believed had failed them. Humboldt County has a legendary presence. It remains a mystery that I don’t think I’ve ever solved.

Some of the relationships I depicted in my book Lost Coast were five minutes long and others spanned months. There is no shortcut when taking a photo of someone. If I’m interested in someone, I go directly to them with my camera and tell them what my work is about. This direct line of communication either opens or closes gates instantly. There has to be mutual trust and curiosity, otherwise it won’t work. I hope that the people I meet get as much from me as I do from them, and it is this collaboration, trust and shared vulnerability that makes the work interesting to me.

Photography requires a lot of waiting – for the perfect people, mood, weather or background. Waiting for the miracle to arrive. This image highlights the interplay between chance, intuition and patience. I have visited this site several times without finding a picture there. I knew someone who lived nearby, and I returned this very afternoon, hoping to find him. Instead, I turned the corner and saw this: a dusty alley lined with daisies, some red-haired people, a bunch of puppies, a woman carrying a gas can, and the whole scene was lit up by bright sunlight.

That’s the miracle, when it all comes together, with me there to capture it all. These moments are very rare, and they disappear as quickly as they come. Like this photo, my favorite photos tend to be open-ended. I want the pictures to raise more questions than they answer. I want the viewer to be actively involved in creating the narrative and meaning. Ultimately, the camera has an amazing ability to elevate the chaos and chaos of the everyday world into coherence and harmony, to make even mundane things feel transcendent.

Biography of Curran Hatelberg

child: Washington, D.C., 1982
High point: “Showing at the Whitney Biennial.”
Top tip: “Forget inspiration, dedication is what sustains an artistic practice.”