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Artist Statement:
As I began to capture the essence of raw nature and how it has woven itself into our evolving industrial society, I quickly learned that no matter how much we grow industrially, nature will inevitably take over in the end.
To capture these feelings and thoughts, I captured the scenery from two locations. The first being Bethlehem Pennsylvania, where I attend Lehigh University. This small town of Bethlehem was once the center of the steel industry not only in America, but in the whole world. Unfortunately, as global markets developed, the town eventually fell flat and has now become a manufacturing wasteland. With the Lehigh river close by and railroad tracks throughout the area, the opportunity for quality shots was prominent.
The second location I chose involved traveling with a good friend of mine Greg Gardner to his home town of . There we were able to find incredible sightings of man-made structures that were overtaken by nature. I felt that the combination of mankind’s impact with natures raw dominance was thrilling and truly eye opening to the viewer. Understanding that our impact is but a mere moment in time in natures timeline is an unbelievable thought that I worked hard to express in this book.
To capture these shots, I used a wide range of aperture settings to fine tune the depth perception and focus of the images. Lighting was a key aspect in the creation of this book, as I relied solely on natural lighting, rejecting the use of artificial light. Many shots require the viewer to focus in on light to distinguish the contrast between nature and its industrialized counterpart.
Raw Nature is a story of the true essence of nature, and how its power stems from its ability to adapt and overtake anything in its path. Everything we have is rooted in nature and we must always respect its presence and the beauty it provides us with.
First of all, the foreground in the image of the skull is spectacular, emphasizing this idea of surreal captures. In a way, one may look at this image and become overwhelmed by the size of the skull juxtaposed to the house in the background. Your idea is consistent throughout the rest of your pieces, with this very idea of nature taking over these man-made structures that once sprung in the renown of gorgeous architect. As a progressing architect, I appreciate the humbling representation you have created of structures needing to remain in unison with the powers of nature itself, in order to not only avoid becoming engulfed by its presence but to also respect the place it holds in this world we live in.
I remember seeing your book in class and I was the one who commented on it so I don’t want to repeat myself too much! But, as I said in class, I think the images of the houses that are being overgrown by nature are really great and I think a great representation of your theme! It is interesting seeing the different materials of houses and which phase of decay each of them are in!
The vine covered run down houses, faded red tunnel shots and the last page with the skull and tire show strong juxtapositions of nature and the structures and objects created by people. The opening pages of the book are not as convincing, but as a whole, the book conveys your message.