Adam Baker: Choice Topic--Photography

As an avid photographer, I have come to appreciate the world from a different perspective through the camera lens. Photographing scenery throughout the nation has allowed me the opportunity to capture nature at its best. Waterfalls, sunsets, and clouds—they are all frozen in time by the camera shutter. From the largest mountains to the smallest flowers, every photo is a story of place and interaction with the environment. Photography gives one the opportunity to focus on the smallest details of the landscape that often go unnoticed, such as water droplets on vegetation reflecting the early morning sun. Often, I will only notice certain elements of the scenery after I have uploaded or printed my photos. In my photography I have the ability to alter the colors and lighting of the scene using a variety of filtering and flash techniques; however, I typically allow nature to provide the optimum lighting, which often results in the most dramatic effects, as opposed to manufactured lighting. Perhaps most importantly, photographing scenery often requires hiking to a specific location over less-than-desirable terrain, but these treks provide further connection with one’s surroundings off the beaten path. Most rewarding is, after a long hike, to upload images to my computer and realize that I strongly captured every element of that particular moment in space and time—forever.