Project 3 "Ecology"

Our assignment for project 3 was to take 20 photos and arrange them in a series with the theme of "Ecology". I get nervous with any camera other than a Polaroid camera, so thinking about what to center my project around had me thinking about this one constantly. I wanted to display Nature "framing" man-made objects and as I move through the series I wanted the photos to change from the "nature-framing-man" to "man-framing-nature" and in the middle of the transition show a balance between the two with neither dominating the photo. The first ten photos, the viewer will witness more pleasing pictures because I found that when nature is the frame the pictures do appear more pleasing to an earth conscious individual. For example, a park picture with beautiful, bountiful trees with a man-made rock path cutting through. The middle photo is a balance of man and nature, not very pleasing if you ask me. The final nine photos are man-made objects (ex. buildings, parking lots etc.) surrounding and framing nature. I ended the series with a strawberry framed by the entire city of Charlotte, giving the viewer a chance to weigh each and decide if this is a balance that should exist.  Moving threw the series I wanted people who are not that aware of environmental issues to possible become more aware. They will think the first nine are gorgeous and then see the ugly reality of what we as a people have done to that beauty. Man cannot frame nature the way nature frames us. I would hope that after the viewer sees the series they would have a greater incentive to help make a change. I found myself throughout this assignment wanting to venture further on and take more photos because after you take one you instantly think of how you could find another more intriguing view and more ideas pop up. I planned on taking between 75 and 100 pictures but ended up with 165 because you want to keep trying to better the last. After wandering parks in Concord, walking the greenway and strolling about in Uptown Charlotte I too was seeing the ugly truth that man cannot come even close to being the frame that Mother Nature is. Thank You ans enjoy.