Our interest in nature is undeniable, hence all of the photographic images produced from nature for almost 200 years now. Nature photography wraps up a whole bunch of genres — landscape, macro and wildlife.
Sadly, finding pristine nature — free of any trace of human existence — is becoming more scarce as the years go by. And this is something photographers are aware of. So, there comes a time when one has to decide if human interventions are something to consider or not when approaching nature through the means of photography — especially landscape imagery.
For example, a long time ago, I was part of a collective in which we gathered around each week 🍻 to discuss photography 📷 From time to time, suggestions such as “getting rid” of anything distracting the scene were given to photographers.
Would you leave that piece of trash ruining your beautiful landscape or would you take it as it is? Are we capable of acknowledging that we shape the landscape?
Questions like these have been in my head since I stumbled upon Gursky‘s work. Beyond the over-priced print scandals he has been known for, the guy has a solid concept that I do appreciate. Thanks to the wonders of digital manipulation and fine optics, he is capable of producing impossible worlds filled with human intervention.
And on the other hand, I've always admired Ansel Adams‘ legacy with a purist approach toward landscape imagery. So, I've concluded that nature photography has to be defined nowadays as a human-centered approach to landscapes.
By the way, the following images have inspired me to approach our surroundings in a documentary fashion. Something like blending landscape with street imagery, if that even makes sense!
Photo of the Week
As a social scientist, it's wonderful to witness as our community builds up their skills and contributions. And as an active member of this place, I've been trusted with the fascinating — yet challenging task — of picking one of your shots as the “Photo of the Week”. Which happens to greet us all after logging into our member accounts.
And why am I telling you this, you might even wonder. Well, the reason is because this week was particularly challenging for me to decide on just one shot. As our community becomes tighter and more dynamic, this situation shouldn't be ignored. This might even be an incipient symptom of the following favorable outcomes: (a) there's been an overall increase in our photographic quality, and (b) the amount of forum posts by us is rising!
In saying that, the following shot had competitors so the selection became strict. The “whoa” factor of this image is undeniable, and we can even start wondering about what was going on behind the shot.
Regarding the shot, bucweeet tells us the following in a separate post within the original thread:
Yes, it’s an adult Snowy Owl. You can tell by its colouring in that it is ‘all’ white. The Juvenile have brown spots in the feathers.
Weekly Photography Challenge Digest
Thanks, Tersha and Dahlia for pushing our creative boundaries one step forward every week!
For more inspiring images, check out the 685th challenge post!
The Garden – where nature and human creation coexist in harmony.
This is from a series of images that I captured of a gentleman making his own maple syrup in rural southern Ohio. Here he is pouring a bucket of raw sap into his evaporator that he made.
Taking the collected maple sap up the hill to the sugar shack. This man is in his late 70’s, and still able to haul the heavy 5 gallon buckets.
Snowstorm, fallen tree limb over state road, man jumps out of car with chain saw and clears a path. The fire department finished the job. A common story here.
Painting a sunrise. Painting a memory.
Conservation
Always looking for beauty in unexpected places.
On one of the walks with our dog on the border between the sea and the dunes.
A Highlight on the Latest Activity at our Community
Robert Apple shared a gorgeous landscape shot from late fall above Dubois Wyoming:
And some bright colored lichen:
Tobie shared the following thought about unwanted shades, click here to answer his question as well.
Unwanted shades can spoil an image more often than not. Then once in a while it actually adds value. I thought is somehow frames the face of this Knyna Toraco and accentuates its eye quite nicely. What do you think?
Tersha shared a bright-looking landscape under the subtle name of “Dylife”:
Our newest monthly contest is live and is all about Natural Resilience, go check out the guidelines if $250 sounds like an interesting prize! And if you want to make the most of your LightStalking membership, make sure to check the latest posts. Also, don't forget to join the Mobile Monday Challenge!
We'd Love To Hear Your Thoughts
Our Feedback Forum is a fine place for all those people wanting to grow fast as photographers. Here, you'll get your work reviewed by friendly photographers, but you'll also have the chance to critque the work of others. We believe in the power of feedback, and here are the latest shots shared in the pool:
The Shark Tank is a great place to learn and to discuss, but please read the instructions in order to get a solid experience. Share your comments, opinions, and doubts on any or all of the images above. We also will be delighted to see some of your own images. Remember all comments are given to the photographs; not the photographers.
Also, don't forget to participate in our upcoming challenge on your local flora!
