Hazel Hermit is Mels Manuel, a 35mm film photographer whose work is surreal and moody, capturing the essence of people, plants, and animals with a timeless, dreamlike quality. Originally from the Midwest and now based in the Pacific Northwest, she has spent the past two decades exploring the unpredictable beauty of analog film.

Manuel’s photography is rich with layered textures, double exposures, and evocative landscapes that feel like fragments of a dream. Her portraits hold a sense of mystery, while her nature images go beyond mere representation, conveying the distinct personality and presence of the plants she captures. Each frame is a study in mood, movement, and light, where the organic imperfections of film lend themselves to an otherworldly aesthetic.

Through her darkroom prints and film scans, Manuel crafts images that feel both fleeting and eternal - existing in that liminal space between memory and imagination. As an analog artist, she remains deeply connected to the tactile process of film photography, embracing its depth, imperfection, and alchemical magic.