While doing some reading on The WIlderness Society website I came across some data that was put together by the U.S. Forest Service. It stated that the U.S. loses 6,000 acres of open area per day to such uses as industrial, residential and agriculture. When I computed the figure over a years time I figured that in 369 days we destroy the equivalent of the entire acres in Yellowstone National Park. I was wondering about these figures because I've begun to think about a natural resource that we are losing along with those acres...Silence. The loss of trees, rivers and wildlife is huge in each of those 6,000 acre, but those acres, in many cases, are replaced by things that make noise or provide a platform for things that are noisy.
In a discussion today with my friend Mike we were relishing in the fact that one of the things that we liked most about the art of photography...or at least nature photography...is the connection that we have with the places that we photograph. Unlike many artistic endeavors that are created in a man made studio, the outdoors is our studio and with that comes all the peace that comes with these location shoots. And peace doesn't mean the absence of sound, for the very sound of the wind through the pines or waves sliding over a sandy beach give us a sense of peace. As we stand behind our camera our view of the living image is enhanced by the sensations that surround our being, including the peace.
As luck would have it, Guy Tal, www.guytal.com , discusses these treasures that are a part of making an image on his blog today. The hiking, the camping, the searching, the finding and all the other dots on the map of creativity in between, become part of the process of making an image. The capture of the image becomes much more than pushing the shutter release, it becomes an internal record of a sense of place and peace. Our hope is that our internal image becomes visual to the viewer.
I'm beginning to believe that the benefits of nature photography are as much psychological as they are artistic for I know that when I exit a forest I am better for the travel in this sanctum. The question is...how long will it be before we no longer have these quiet places or no longer realize what we've lost?
For more views of my work visit:
"A Piece Of Work", Spirit Lake, Iowa www.apieceofworkinc.com
Art Of The Vine Gallery http://www.artofthevinegallery.com
Artisans Road Trip www.artisansroadtrip.com
http://www.betterphoto.com/Premium/Default.aspx?id=251674&mp=V1
