Found in Nature

PHT101 Final, Spring 2020

Plastic is everywhere, but do you even pay attention to it anymore? It has become embedded in our lives. In my effort towards becoming zero waste, I feel like I have slowly become hyper aware of the trash that people leave on the ground, or in some cases, in the trees. I wanted to do this project with my subject being litter to help people focus on what’s being discarded, and to have the trash become more prominent in their view. Perhaps then they will begin to take notice of what’s found in nature around them, and know it doesn’t belong.

For this project, I decided on straight photography since I wanted this to be an accurate representation of the trash we encounter just walking outside. These were shot around the block of my apartment complex, a friend’s apartment complex, and a nearby park. I prefer a smaller aperture to help highlight what can easily get “lost in the weeds.” 

This course also required no editing – all images are straight from the camera. Even many years later though, I still enjoy seeing some of these images.