MIDDLEBURG - Photographer Tabitha Silver said one of her dreams is to pose a tiger in Sri Lanka.

It's not ironic that the fierce cat is her spirit animal - representing strength and courage. Everything that Silver continues to embody. 

Amid personal struggles, Silver said she always finds a way to keep going. 

One of those ways is finding the beauty in whatever she lays her eyes on.  That means stopping, pulling out her camera and capturing its essence.

Photography, she said, has been her saving grace in times of sadness. That's why she founded Tabbie Silver Photos.

Her business grew out of a season of overwhelming change. In April of 2022, Silver was diagnosed with breast cancer. And on that same day, she said, her mother became ill.  She lost her 11 days later.

"She never learned of my diagnosis," Silver said. "So, it's a lot to carry all of that."

With the added stress of her 18-year-old-son spreading his wings for the first time, Silver said her walls began to cave in.

With bustling emotions, she needed to find an outlet. A way to pour her grief into something useful. So, she shifted her focus to something new. 

"I didn't want it to just overwhelm me and make it where I didn't want to get out of bed this year," she said.

Tabbie Silver Photos officially launched in May. Taking pictures became a way for her to slow down and notice the quiet beauty that still exists through seasons of change.

Silver's first online gallery opened on the fourth anniversary of her mother's passing. Since then, Silver said her work, shot entirely from her iPhone 15 Pro Max, has been displayed internationally in Bogota, Hanoi, Budapest, Melbourne and Berlin. She's also been featured in photography publications and outlets such as Shutterbug, PetaPixel and Digital Camera World.

Her landscape fine-art photographs focus on the peacefulness of Earth's nature. There is no perfect formula to getting the best photo, she said. It's just about having a creative mindset - from underwater aquariums and sunrise beaches to the breathtaking views of the Chattanooga mountains and Tallulah Gorge State Park.

With minimal editing, Silver said all of her final images stay as close as possible to what she saw, creating a level of uniqueness and authenticity that sets her work apart.

"God has given me the ability to capture some beautiful images. And I want to capture what he has there, so that they can speak to other people," she said.

The stillness, she said, represents the resilience and beauty found in everyday moments. Much like her own journey of pain and grief.

"I took some good photographs before the season of loss and grief that I went through. But nothing like what I've been able to do since," Silver said. 

"Stillwater Remembers" remains one of her most palpable pieces, she said. Shot on the St. Johns River in Spring Park, Silver said the photo takes on a life of its own. 

It's one of the many pieces she showed during her first live art-showing in Middleburg. At the Calm and Cozy Market, Silver was able to bring her photography directly to the local community. It was a chance, she said, to introduce her work to the place she calls home.

"It was perfect to get some exposure to speak with customers to find out what images spoke to people," she said. 

In addition to selling her work online at tabbiesilverphotos.com and showing at more local vendor markets, Silver said she hopes to begin showcasing her photographs in local hospitals, giving the same peace to others that she once longed for.

"That's one of the directions I'd like to go with my photography. What's more peaceful than maybe sitting there looking at [this photograph] while you're waiting on a difficult diagnosis."

In a world where anything is a muse, Silver said who knows what the future holds.