|
|
|
A Cliff With A View "I'm here to scrape the burnt chili off the bottom of the pot. It might not taste great, but it'll make you think." - Mark F. Twight This is a series of articles I have written that reflects the current state of nature photography. I feel that nature photography reflects our relation to the natural world and conservation in general. Admittedly, these are rather opinionated pieces, and many of you may not agree with what I have to say. However, my intent is not to try and please everyone. I feel that nature photography tries to do just that: please everybody. Whether it is the demands of photo editors, the buying public, or for political correctness, we all see what we want to see. Personally, I can argue that what most nature photographers portray in their work (mine included) is a facade. We all like to exclude the "bad" from our photos, namely the presence of humans. However, I'm afraid there is no escaping the human footprint. If people only see broad sweeping landscape shots, or a grizzly bear in a meadow in Yellowstone, the public and decision makers will say: "Looks OK to me. So what's the problem?" Hence the current state of nature photography needs to be addressed.
A quote that describes what I am trying to convey here is the title of Lance Armstrong's book: "It's Not About the Bike." I feel the same way about nature photography: it's not about the camera or the gear, or you and your ego, the money, or the people buying your photos. It's about the subject: the wildlife, the land, the water, the air. It's about trying to protect what little we have left, and give "speech" to the things that have no voices.
Our world and it's many inhabitants didn't ask for what we have inflicted on it.
Cliff Nietvelt October 10, 2003
Part 1: Being Honest About Nature Photography And Our Natural World
|
