In his book, 1491, Charles Mann has attempted to reveal the condition of the Americas in the centuries before the arrival of the Europeans. Anthropologists and archeologists now understand that the natives of these continents had a much greater effect upon the natural world than was once imagined; and one has only to look at modern landscapes to see the effect of modern man. One can also only guess how this influence will affect our world in the centuries to come. Today's photographers of nature have an unusual historical opportunity to preserve records of our natural world for later scholars and scientists. If the world is indeed in the beginnings of natural cyclical warming of the earth, what we photograph today may some day be invaluable.
This should be the true calling of the nature photographer. |
Man's influence on the environment - the natural world - is undeniable and obvious at every turn. As a nature photographer, I try to remember this influence as I seek out natural objects and circumstances to photograph.
In my view, nature photography is the reproduction of images that occur naturally in our world. A nature photographer's effort should be to provide the images or scenes that contain no man-made object or structures. A view of a snowy path winding along a split-rail fence to Grandma's house is beautiful and inviting and is a wonderful way to wish friends and loved ones a merry and joyous holiday season. But when one removes the fence and Grandma's house the scene becomes a photograph of nature. A foggy morning in Cades Cove is a favorite of photography classes, but remove the fence or the log cabin and one has a great nature photograph.
Ansel Adams is quoted as having said that he did not use color film because no color film available in his lifetime could reproduce the true colors found in nature. Imagine the photographs he would have produced with today's film or digital cameras. Photography is the process of exposing light to film (or digital sensors) and producing an image. Modern man had unlocked secrets to film technology that allow us to reproduce the precise details and colors of nature. It seems to me that we have a responsibility as "nature photographers" to provide the viewers, indeed history, with true reproductions of our natural world.
Just as film and camera technology has advanced so has the ability and technology to change and enhance images in various computer programs. Again, the true nature photographer has a responsibility not to fall victim to this technology. Pink sand and orange oceans can be beautiful and meaningful art in the correct forum, but they should not be mistaken for the true representations of nature. Frame the image in the camera, compose correctly, use film or digital settings that reproduce the true color one sees through the viewfinder and produce a true representation of nature's wonders. Take an artist's view and compose an image that beautifully displays the subject without picking the flower or moving the bush. Present the image without coloring the sky the color you saw it yesterday. Take time to study your subject and present it with an artist's skill and talent and patience.