Human Impact Inspiration

Posted by Paul Cloutier on 24 February 2008.

For anyone looking for a little inspiration for the Human Impact theme, there are a couple of good places to start. The first is at the site of photographer Edward Burtynsky. His photos of the impact that humans can have on the landscape are at once beautiful, disturbing, and eye opening. There is a documentary called "Manufactured Landscapes" recently produced about him that is a great resource as well.

Nickel Tailings No. 34, Sudbury, Ontario by Edward Burtynsky

Oxford Tire Pile No. 8, Westley, California by Edward Burtynsky

Another remarkable photographer is Chris Jordan. His portraits of American Mass Consumption look at first like repetitive patterns, but as you spend time with the images you soon realize they are mind bogglingly large piles of e-waste, logging remnants, shipping containers, and scrap metal. He shows us the massive scale of our consumption in a very accessible way while still creating something beautiful.

Cell phones #2, Atlanta 2005 by Chris Jordan

Pole Yard, Tacoma 2004 by Chris Jordan

These guys certainly have access to some amazing locations, but we bet you can find similar examples in your own lives. We think this theme is going to open our eyes in a lot of ways, and you all have a great start going in the theme so far so keep it up.