Naturephotographyappealstoournostalgiaforatimewhenweweremoreinharmonywiththeplanet.
Theoldadage"apictureisworthathousandwords"needstoberethought.Moreimportantly,apicturecanhavethepowertomoveathousandheartsandchangeathousandminds.Often,photographsbringtooureyeswhatwemayhaveseenmanytimesbefore,butnotnoticed.Theycanshednewlightontheeverydayandtheordinary.Theycanredirectthecourseofourvision,sothatwesee,think,imagineandeven,perhaps,actdifferently.
Nodoubt,oneofthemostpressingcampaignsofourtimesisthatforsustainabilityandenvironmentalawareness.Intheruthlesscourseofmodernity,ourapproachtonaturehasbeenoneofextractionanduse.Weurgentlyneedtoalterhowwerelatetotheworldaroundusandtore-educateourselvesintermsofthelargerplanetaryscheme,hung,asitis,onadelicateecologicalbalancethatisbeingdangerouslydisturbedbyourmanymodernmachinationsinthenameofscience,technology,developmentandprogress–and,dareIsayit,capital.
Naturephotographyhasbecomeapotenttoolinthisstruggle.Throughit,welearnofthemanyothers–thewondrousdiversityoffloraandfauna–withwhomwecohabitonthisplanet.Itisalso,astheGuardian'snaturephotographyprojectreveals,amediumtakenupbyprofessionalsandamateursalike.So,whatroledoesphotographyplayindefiningourrelationshipwithnature?Whatdoimagesofnatureandwildlifetellusandwhydowefeelcompelledtoviewthem?Whoamongushasneverbeenmovedtosnapasunsetonthehorizon,aflowingriver,ablossominspring?
Ourzealforvisuallyrepresentingnaturehasalongandcomplexhistory.Theadventofphotographywascelebratedasamilestoneinthemodernistquesttocapturenaturebetter.Forearlyphotographywaslargelydevotedtodocumentarypurposesand,intheapparentfidelityofitsrepresentations,thecamerainthe19thcenturyexceededthenaturalistdrivesofpainterswho,duringtheRenaissanceandearlymodernperiod,triedtoexplore,andsotame,naturebyrenderingitintoart.
Photography,however,ispoisedonafineborderlinebetweendocumentaryandart.Neverjustoneortheother,photographscanexceedthesetframe.Moreover,thephotographicframecanrevealtheunsettlingabilitytoextendandincludeusinitsspace.Photographyisinclusiveinitsmediatoryrole.Itextendscovenants.
Often,naturephotographycallsonmodernhumanity'ssenseofnostalgiaforaharmonybetweenmanandtheenvironment.AsJohnBergerhasrightlystated,thewayweseeisconditionedbyourhistory,andsoitisthatwemaylookatnatureintermsofloss.AswiththemanyimagesoftherecentoilspilloffthecoastofFlorida,thiscanbefoundedinfactandsoprovokeasenseofculpability,asuddenawarenessorquestioningofourpreceptsandactions.Photographsleadustorethink,torealigntheframeofourunderstanding.
Theforceofphotographyalsoliesinitsplayfulness.Andbythis,Imeanthemanyoverlappingdiscoveriesofunvoicedknowledge,feelingsandimaginationthatwestumbleuponviaimages.So,theflipsideoflossorpathoscanbeafreshnessofvisionorachangeofperspective.Aboveall,naturephotographylendstoourliveswhatwelongagolostinourmodernabandonmentofnature–theexperienceofwonderment,thatsenseofdiscovery,newnessandawe.
Take,forexample,ErnstHaas'simagesofdramaticskies,theelementsandtheseasons.Hiswork,dramaticandinspiring,callsuponourpre-modernimaginationsoftheworldatitsmostelemental,chargedwithadynamicenergy.
Photographscanalsopointouttheextraordinaryormagicalintheseeminglyirrelevant,asinBolucevschiVitali'sprizewinningimageofantspoisedlikedancersinstellarform.Modernised,urbanisedandalienatedasmanyofusare,photographsremindusofnature'smanycomplexitiesandsubtleties.Or,asinSebastioSalgado'son-goingprojectGenesisthatislinkedtoanequallychallengingprojectattheInstitutoTerratorestoreBrazil'sAtlanticrainforest,photographymarrieswonderment,amazementandjoytoawell-definedandarticulatedcommitmenttotheplanet.Itmeldsfracturesandhelpsenvisagesolidarityinourimbalancedandfracturedworld.
Sowhatmovesustosnapasunsetonthehorizon,aflowingriver,ablossominspring?Thephotographbyitselfisonlyatokenofamomentgoneby.Itspowerliesinthemetaphor,forphotographycapturesourmindsmorethanwecapturethesubject.
Inthecaseofnaturephotography,wediscoverthatthebattleforsustainabilityandenvironmentalbalanceisnotsomethingfought"outthere",inthedistance,butonethatultimatelyreturnsustothenatural.Environmentalphotographymatters,becauseitoffersthelifelineofabridgebetweenourmodern,denaturalised,mechanisticmoresandtheimperativeofnaturewithinandwithout.
【重点单词及短语】
inharmonywith与……协调一致;与……和谐相处
imperativen.命令;规则adj.必要的;势在必行的
Questiontime:
1.What'sthefunctionofphotographs?
2.What'stherelationshipbetweenphotographyandenvironment?