Our Relationship with the Land

Documentary landscape photography has traditionally been a male dominated field. While I admire and enjoy contemporary approaches to the landscape, my work documents the landscape as I am seeing it. I am preserving a place in that moment. My work especially focuses on culturally significant at risk landscapes. Documenting these places as they are now is integral to our cultural heritage history. In March 2019, I photographed the Mojave National Preserve as a part of their artist in residence program. Mojave National Preserve is one of the most unique places in the National Park System. Not just for its vast and diverse landscape, but it is also a place that has been continually used by humans for centuries. As stated in the California Desert Protection Act, Mojave is “a resource of extraordinary and inestimable value for current and future generations”. Contributing to the diversity of the landscape is the permission of hunting, trapping, and ranching. Many believe protected lands are humanless lands. I strongly believe there can be continuity between land use and environmental preservation. My process is slow and methodical; using a medium format camera and spending several minutes setting up a shot. I am drawn to Mojave’s vast and solitary landscape. Geologic features, dense Joshua Tree forests, and abandoned corrals represent the diverse cultural landscape of Mojave.