Environmental Photography

ENVIRONMENTAL PHOTOGRAPHY Trees are poems that earth writes upon the sky, / We fell them down and turn them into paper, / That we may record our emptiness. (Kahlil Gibran) I just got back from another photo workshop to the Salton Sea and starting thinking about environmental photography and what its role is as a documentary statement and as an art form. The Salton Sea is certainly one of the most obvious human environmental disasters in Southern California and one of the easiest to photograph if one can get past the gross trash, dead animals and stench.   Environmental photography encompasses a wide variety of work by photographers who use the environment as their subject. It can include  photographing natural disasters, manmade disasters, beautiful scenics and somber cityscapes. It can be scientific in nature such as some of the work by Gary Braasch, or presented purely as an art form such as the large format digital work by Chris Jordan. The purpose behind environmental photography is not solely to record a news story, but also to broaden our understanding of our environment and of mankind's impact upon it. Many photographers working in this field believe that photographic imagery can change preconceptions about the world around us.  Focusing on the positive is where nature photographers can thrive on a subject. Even though there were dead fish at our feet (above) I photographed the beauty of Salton Sea which may suggest that there is hope in saving the place. The sunset colors also convey a positive image. Most photographers are compelled to photograph the beautiful aspects of nature. However, focusing on the negative can evoke powerful emotions and a sense of loss. It is important not to forget photographic techniques such as dramatic lighting, angles and point of view to draw the viewer into the image. In the above photo I chose to photograph one dead fish propped up on a rock with the Salton Sea in the background as an illustration of the environmental tragedy. It suggests the fish is gasping and needing to leave the sea. Regardless of the subject, it can remain a beautiful photograph. The human element is always something to consider in environmental photography. Many people are only interested in the pristine landscapes, however the juxtaposition humans and man made objects can have a powerful impact. At first glance the power plant seems like an eyesore. But other questions arise once the viewer knows this is a geothermal plant providing clean energy. Ansel Adams was one of the original environmental photographers. He used images successfully to persuade the US Congress, back in the 1930s, to create wilderness sanctuaries in the American West. Other powerful examples include W. Eugene Smith's photo-documentary on the outbreak of mercury poisoning in Minamata Japan during the 1950s, or Philip Jones Griffiths' account of Agent Orange, the defoliant used by the US in the Vietnam War.

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