Week 4: Water Shoot-Amanda Cooke

 The coastal photographs—featuring weathered rock formations, tide pools, and the shifting boundary between land and water—directly engage with the themes explored in Kruckeberg’s Chapter 3, The Inland Sea. This reading underscores the interdependence of geology, ecology, and marine processes, illustrating how natural forces continuously sculpt the region. The images reflect this ongoing transformation, capturing the interaction between erosion and biological life, stability and change.



The first image showcases sculpted rock formations along the shoreline, their surfaces intricately carved by erosion into honeycomb-like patterns. This visually exemplifies Kruckeberg’s discussion of the Puget Sound’s geological history, shaped by glacial activity, saltwater erosion, and persistent weathering. The textured rock faces function as a tangible record of these forces, revealing the perpetual reshaping of the land by environmental processes.



The second image depicts the rugged coastline meeting the sea, reinforcing Kruckeberg’s assertion that the inland sea is not a static body of water but a dynamic system influenced by tides, currents, and geological activity. The fractured, jagged rocks illustrate the tension between permanence and transformation, embodying the ceaseless exchange between land and water. This image also underscores the region’s biodiversity, as these coastal formations provide critical habitats for barnacles, seaweeds, and other marine life that depend on the fluctuating conditions of the intertidal zone.



The third image, a close-up of a tide pool, visually encapsulates Kruckeberg’s exploration of intertidal ecosystems. Tide pools serve as microhabitats for organisms that must continuously adapt to shifting water levels, salinity, and environmental exposure. The contrast between wet, glistening algae and the dry, textured surfaces of barnacles exemplifies the resilience of these species, aligning with Kruckeberg’s discussion of adaptation in coastal environments. These pools stand as living evidence of the inland sea’s ecological complexity and the survival strategies essential for life within it.


 Collectively, these photographs function as visual extensions of Kruckeberg’s insights, reinforcing the notion that coastal environments like the Puget Sound are not inert landscapes but dynamic, evolving systems. They offer concrete illustrations of the geological and ecological forces at play, deepening our understanding of the themes presented in The Inland Sea.

Ultimately, these images bring Kruckeberg’s discussion into sharper focus, revealing the inland sea as both fragile and enduring—continuously shaped by historical processes yet always in flux. Observing these coastal formations and ecosystems fosters a deeper appreciation for the intricate balance and enduring dynamism of this environment.

Another focus was capturing the branch formation of the trees






Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Welcome to Environmental Photography

Image
 Nature is all around us! A camera is an incredible tool that not only captures what we see, but helps us to see more. When we pick up a camera we find ourselves on the spectrum between art and science. While our cameras objectively capture light, we decide where to point them and why. If a picture is worth a thousand words then an image can make valuable contribute to our understanding of an organism, inspire people to action, or make  someone smile. This blog will be a place for us to share our photos and our reflections about them.
Read more

Nature in My Neighborhood - Aubyana

Image
  There exists a stark contrast between the neighborhood I live in now, tucked along the edge of Garden Street, and the impoverished, subjugated area I once called home in Tacoma. My old neighborhood was a place where wildlife struggled to survive, and even if it had thrived, it would have still been inaccessible. The streets were more often filled with the remnants of human activity than the signs of nature. An occasional dog would wander the alleys. Sometimes, the aftermath of raccoons would leave a trail—scraps of trash scattered across the concrete, a testament to their nocturnal scavenging. Living in a place like this taught me how to hold immense gratitude for nature, unders tanding that the wealthy and middle classes tend to have more access, snow sports and family vacations that I would never experience myself. This motivated me to carve out time and seek out natural beauty, waterfronts and forest days that I prioritized. I feel immense privilege in having transitioned t...
Read more

Landscapes - Jordan

Image
I went up to the Mt. Baker Ski Area for my pictures. I love the snow and the mountains, so I figured it would be the perfect spot. (I might also include more than two photos. I have a lot of landscape shots from other places, and no where else to show them off, lol.) This first photo is shot at F/5.0 1/2000 and ISO 64. I don't remember the focal length of the lens. But it was in the 20s, I think. F6.3, 1/2000 ISO 64 and this was shot at 50mm. So, the biggest critique that I have with my photos, and that I will always have with my photos, is that I can never tell if they are too dark. What looks fine to me, might actually be too dark. Especially when I just yank it straight from my camera and don't run it through Lightroom or something like that. Also, and maybe you'd be able to help answer this question for me, Professor; but how do you take photos with sunglasses? I had to wear them up on Mt. Baker because otherwise it would have been obscenely bright, but I felt ...
Read more