Fairhaven Environmental Photography

 This week, we focused on capturing images of animals in our neighborhood while reflecting on the types of wildlife that inhabit the area. Observing and photographing these creatures provided a fascinating insight into their behaviors and movements, making me appreciate the subtle beauty of local wildlife.  One of my favorite moments was photographing an owl, a shot from a previous quarter that I was particularly proud of. I managed to capture the bird’s full wingspan in Cornwall Park with a synchronous series of about five images, showcasing the power and grace of its flight. The way the owl’s wings stretched across the frame created a striking visual, highlighting both its size and the intricate details of its feathers. This experience reinforced how rewarding patience and timing can be when photographing wildlife, especially birds in motion.  The other two pictures I captured were of deer, which, while not as dramatic as the owl shots, presented their own unique challe...

During the photo shoot, we explored landscape photography while experimenting with different shutter speeds to capture motion and detail. One of the most fascinating aspects was photographing the stream, where the water's clarity and movement created a dynamic and ever-changing subject. The way the water percolated through the rocks and reflected light added an element of depth and texture to the images. I was particularly drawn to the colors in the photographs. The natural greens, browns, and blues blended beautifully, creating a rich and immersive visual experience. It was especially rewarding to see how the lighting conditions enhanced these colors, making them more vibrant and pronounced in certain shots. Capturing motion was another intriguing aspect of the shoot. A basketball caught in the dam became an unexpected focal point, interacting with the flowing water in unique ways. The contrast between the ball’s stillness and the water’s movement made for compelling compositions....

  I took these photos a few weeks ago and realized I never posted this, so I'm submitting it now. I took these pictures on a rainy day just outside of my apartment. Compositionally I don't find these particularly interesting but they do effectively demonstrate the changing quality of light. The first photograph was taken around 10 am, on an overcast and rainy morning. The colors are vibrant but compositionally the photograph is lacking. There is little detail in the picture beyond the water droplets. The second picture is my favorite. The sky had cleared and I loved the detail you could see on the leaves. There is much more depth in this picture. The third picture was taken aroun 3, and you can see a decent amount of detail but the colors are washed out and not particularly interesting. The final photograph has more depth of feild but compositionally is not particularly interesting. 

 

  In this photo, I wanted to capture a feeling of quiet reflection and connection with nature. The person standing at the edge of the cliff, looking out over the calm water, creates a sense of peace and stillness. The tall trees surrounding them and the mossy roots weaving through the ground give the scene a grounded, natural feel. The overcast sky and soft lighting make everything feel calm and a little introspective. What I was trying to evoke with this image is that feeling you get when you’re alone in nature — that mix of being small compared to the world but also feeling part of it. The person’s relaxed stance and the way they’re facing away from the camera adds to the sense that they’re lost in thought, just taking it all in. I think moments like this — where you’re not doing much except being present — are really powerful. The sign on the tree adds an interesting layer to the image. It’s a reminder that while nature is open to us, there are boundaries to respect. The “no f...

 

 

  Title: Just a little guy! 

For my first photo of Humans interacting with the environment I wanted to use this photo of Zoe sitting on a tree! A direct photo of a human and the environment. A positive interaction of a human connecting with nature. Not harming the tree in any way but connecting with the tree. I wanted to show happiness in this photo. Zoe is very happy to be sitting on the tree and she's laughing. I bet if the tree could smile it also would be. I think it's nice to look at beautiful nature like trees but it's also important we get even close and go touch them and look at the tiny moss that grows on it. Connecting with nature by climbing trees and touching moss and tree hugging brings so much joy to not only us but the trees and the environment. My second photo is more of an indirect photo of humans interacting with the environment. Although Zoe is also in this one I am more focused on the graffiti. I think graffiti is a beautiful art, but I also think there can be a time and place for i...

  "Tentacles" photograph by Zoe Wright

 

  My two photos reflect on my time as a student in this class. Initially, I was both excited and dreadful about taking this class. I was excited because I now had a reason to use my camera. On the other hand, I dreaded it because going on hikes in the winter did not sound appealing.  Being a part of this class created a sense of community; from in-class chatter to carpooling and beginning the journey in an unfamiliar place. I hope these photos capture the nostalgia, the care-free attitude of a bunch of 20-something year olds, and how amazing it was to participate in a class like this. 

  This is a shoot in honor of the time spent with those I love in places I love. It's also in homage to taking a hard fall. The third photo shows my roommate gearing up to scale what looks to be an unscalable, sandstone boulder. This photo was captured seconds before Cole lunged upwards, in an attempt to grab the top of the boulder. This was very much outside of his physical capability, so he fell, and he fell real hard. The guy legitimately landed in split form. It was hysterically impressive. We were on the eastern side of Clark's Point, and without any general consensus, the three of us began sprinting across the tracks through the tunnel. On the other end, Cole had to rinse his paws off from the earlier-mentioned fall. I can't really describe this collection of photos other than it feels like it has this strong sense of play. I might be biased because I was there, and we were in fact playing. But, there's something so valuable about breathing in the fresh air, runni...

Four, solace, standing soldiers. Symmetrical and brutal, designed for use, only to be left standing, forever never touched with intent. These four industrial residences show an abandonment of an old culture left to rot by the old working bay. As beautiful as they are, their presence fills my lungs with a cloud of black smoke and troubles my mind with thoughts of the gluttonous Coleman and wolfish Loggers coming to slaughter our natural biome. It's interesting and disturbing to think about how these four cold, metal beings will stand long after Earth's retribution. The photos contrast between the white sky and dark towers instill this truth of eternal stain, and shows the stark difference between the alien sheet metal from the native world. At the tops of the gourds you can make out rods meant for bird repellent; this only further shows the dissonance of man's industrialism. Beautiful and disruptive, these four creatures are symbols that tell the tale of mankind.

  For this final post, I wanted to look back and focus on some of the adventures we were put on. This is a nature class, but even though we are passive observers, our presence still influences and changes the environment. The first picture has no people in it, yet the influence is unmistakable in the unique pattern on the stump. The second is an old floatation device, muddied from circulations in the sea and grim. Finally, we get to use, explore, and focus on nature. The third picture is still very focused on the background but you can see the human element, from the trail to the little camera-toting wanderers. Finally, the full focus is on us at the bridge, a marvel of human engineering in the middle of nature, and us on top of it looking out at our surroundings. This last one was my favorite, the way the light touches is just quite breathtaking as members of our class look up to photograph an eagle. 

 In this photo shoot, I was asked to photograph my friend’s colleague’s anniversary party, celebrating her 20 years of work at the organization. I initially assumed it would be a typical work event — formal, brief, and somewhat distant — but I quickly realized it was much more personal. There was a strong sense of community in the room, and the celebration felt less about her professional accomplishments and more about the connections she had built over the years.   What stood out to me most was how easy it was to connect with everyone there. At most events I photograph, there’s usually a clear separation between myself and the guests, but this time felt different. People were open, curious, and eager to talk with me, which made it easier to capture moments that felt genuine. It was clear that the relationships in the room extended far beyond the workplace, and I found myself appreciating the chance to witness that.   One challenge I ran into during the shoot was the low ...

  For this assignment I went on an early evening nature walk with my roomate and best friend. A challange in this was that I had to find ways of getting natural light (or streetlamps) to provide enough lighting so that I didn't have to use the flash. I was worried by the rain on my lenses in that it would degrade the quality of the photos, buth I think it adds to the images, deepening the blues by casting light on the lense. In the second photograph it looks almost like my roomate sees the waterdroplet on the lense. I wanted to explore the connection to nature that we get in the neighborhood and to artistically capture what these walks are like. Often when it is raining and dark, the nature feels surreal but not unsafe, which I wanted to show in my photographs. I like these pictures as they explore visually rain, nightime, suburban nature and humans. 

  These are three of my favorite pictures I have taken of people in the environment. The first two are during our class adventures, and the last is a photo I took while conducting research for our group assignment. I really like the second picture because it gives perspective as to what we are doing and showing how we are photographing the nature. I think in the first picture with Kendra in the center really brings more attention to the water and beach as well, showing the landscape. I also love the last photo because Keegan was on the edge of the cliff while measuring this tree and I think it's so cool how it looks like there is almost no land in the picture. I really enjoy taking photos of my friends as we go on adventures to remember it by, so this was a lot of fun to look back on our memories we have created through this course. I also think it's really interesting how you can see the weather differences on each day, because of the light in each picture. 

  For this photo shoot, I decided to walk around my neighborhood and see if I could find a few moments of nature and urban development collide. Photos 1 and 5 are from my neighborhood. Photos 2-4 are of tyler, taken over the course of all of our field trips. I ran into some issues with my camera. The focus was very wonky, taking multiple second to focus on one thing, or refocusing on a different subject right as the photo was taken.