(A2) Teaching Through the Lens: Communicating Nature’s Gift to the WorldI make my way up a snow-sprinkled path and watch as the forest undresses. It is the first hint of springtime in the mountains, and Winter’s blanket is unraveling. What snow remains glistens in the sun like sequins on a dress and the only sound that plays through the trees is the dripping of water from thawing leaves. Each drop that falls reveals more of each bush, tree and twig, allowing me to observe this incredible process of nature. Click. The shutter speaks to me in content. Securing the camera around my neck, I climb the last ten feet of the trail.
What I see on the top of the mountain is something that cannot be put into words. It is something that can only be understood through experience or, as I hope to achieve one day, through photographs. As a photographer, I journey through the many faces of nature, observing it’s incredible processes. Along the way, I try not to disturb even the smallest twig, in hopes of capturing and communicating it’s true essence.
I remember going on this hike through the San Bernardino Mountains and not being able to explain it to my friends who had not experienced it. The only way I could come close to describing it was through the photographs I had taken along the way. The series of photographs I will be discussing in this paper do just that. They are my attempt to explain the magnificence and mystery that I see in nature. This “attempt” as I call it is one of the main reasons why I became interested in nature photography. I want to communicate my experience in nature to everyone who has never had the opportunity to experience it and I hope that my photographs will encourage them to go out and explore and learn to appreciate the majestic power and raw beauty that nature holds. I do not, however, just want them to see another nature or wildlife picture to hang on the wall.
In order for them to share my experience I need to capture the true essence of each environment I’m in. This means disturbing it as little as possible and observing every little aspect of it. I guess you could call this a technique, but I like to say it is more of a lack of technique. There is no planning for photo shoots, checking out certain equipment, setting up lighting or brainstorming my approach to my pictures. I simply do what nature allows me to do.
This might seem a little simple but it is quite a long process. On every photographic journey into the wilderness, I go through a type of meditative approach. I observe the environment I’m in, in order to understand and respect it. Once I have this understanding I can begin to blend into it’s natural flows and processes without disturbing them. Only after I am sure that I am not disrupting the environment do I take my camera out. It is important for me as both a photographer and an avid nature lover to insure that I am not disturbing the environment with my presence. For one, I want to make sure I get an accurate representation of what I’m experiencing, and secondly, I would never want to cause harm or fear to any plant life or wildlife. It is through this process of careful observation and mindful appreciation that I am able to capture nature in the hope that my photographs will communicate my experience to others.
I guess you could say I started my project about two years ago. I was into my first year of college and my first experience living in a city. Growing up on three acres in the middle of a secluded valley gave me a great passion and appreciation for nature. Midway through my first semester in a smog filled, concrete bound city, I thought I couldn’t live through it. I didn’t realize that so much of earth’s natural environment was being eroded away by construction and pollution. Thus began my motivation for photographing nature.
I started hiking through the California mountain ranges and coastal regions with my camera as my only companion
. I spent more time observing my surroundings than actually taking pictures. From the start, it was important for me to prioritize my appreciation and respect for nature before my desire of capturing it on film. I did not want to take it for granted in any way just so I could get a beautiful shot.
My photographs are able to reflect the essence of nature because they are created with the use of natural tools, tools given to me by nature. I do not use florescent lighting, only the natural luminosity of the sun. I do not alter my pictures in any way, either during the photographic process or the printing process. Meaning the natural colors remain the same in their reproduction, as they were when I first saw them. Nature needs no enhancement. It only needs to be presented with the beauty and serenity that it already possesses. This step is vital in my photographic approach, for it is how I plan to carry my ideas across to the rest of the world. I want them to see and feel the true essence of nature through a representation of its lines, shapes, textures, and colors, and how the light of the sun
at different times of the day enhances this naturally occurring phenomenon. For me, this approach to photography is the most effective way for people to learn to understand the importance of nature and encourage them to take on the necessary task of conservation.
Although this approach has brought me closer to reaching this goal, it has not come without its limitations. Reflecting on the photographs in the series, I have realized my work succumbs to certain tendencies. Throughout the process of creating this project, I find myself gravitating towards familiar environments more than others. My tendency is to travel along the coast or up into the mountains. About half of the thirty photographs in the series are from coastal areas and the other half or from mountain and forest landscapes.
I think this tendency springs from my childhood years of family beach trips and vacations into the mountains. These were my most enjoyable moments growing up. Long summer days of playing in the sand and surf, and frosty winter mornings throwing snow at my brothers and making pretend snow cones. The freedom and openness of these environments allowed me to explore living things around me. Through sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell I made my way through each environment, learning the processes of life that took place in each one. These experiences have shaped my approach to photography and explain the tendencies I often fall into.
With this project, I hope to break free of these ingrained tendencies. I want to travel the world and experience every different type of environment so I can get a wider, more holistic understanding of their importance. Immersing myself in only ocean and mountain terrains limits my view of nature. I think I forget about all the other environments around the world that are being effected by human touch. With my curiosity and camera at hand, I hope to understand the many environments and the ways in which people interact with their natural surroundings.
Moving into a different realm of photography will broaden my approach. By focusing on human interactions with the natural world, I look to discover how different people of different cultures embrace their natural surroundings. Throughout my life of twenty years, I have been raised to respect and protect the beauty and importance of nature, influenced by both my upbringing and my childhood environment.
What sparks my interest in connecting humans to nature is how their relationship to it, whether negative or positive, harmful or helpful, came to be and if it can be changed for the better.
Everyone is raised a different way and in different environments. I hope to travel to as many places as I can around the world and observe how different people relate to the natural world around them, all the while capturing it in a frame. My camera will act as a learning tool in the process of understanding human actions and interactions with the natural environment, and possibly even lead to a solution for human destruction of the environment. I want my photographs to either remind or teach people of the beauty that nature gives to this planet and the importance of maintaining and protecting that gift.
loods my soul when I am surrounded by nature. I want my photographs to encourage people to look beyond the digital print mounted on the wall in front of them. If my audience can begin to see my photos as a window into the world beyond, I feel that I have achieved my personal goals as an artist. 
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