It seems that progress so often involves the needless destruction of some of the precious beauty in our environment. To me, the reason this can happen is the decision process by which such projects move forward. Before any project is initiated, investors, governing entities and even the public weigh the pros (what is to be gained) against the cons (what will be lost). If what is to be lost is not fully appreciated by the majority, then that side of the equation is not fully understood and precious parts of our world are lost. It is a sad observation that to so many Americans an outdoor experience is watching the Discovery Channel. They see the Grand Canyon, Yosemite or Yellowstone and feel comforted that these are supposedly being preserved. What they never understand is the elegant and simple beauty that surrounds them, even in their own neighborhood. How can they then weight the value of what is to be lost to the front end loader of progress?

One of my greatest pleasures is the feedback I often get from people who have seen my images. So often I have heard ‘I passed by such and such a hundred times and never even cared that it was there. Now I stop to see it, to feel it, to touch it, …’ While our task may not be as great as those of Dorothea Lang, Paul Strand and the photographers of the Farm Securities Administration who raised American awareness of the suffering during the depression, our task is nonetheless similar. We as nature and landscape photographers have the capability, as did these photographers, to change the perception of those who are simply looking but not seeing.

This is our, and my, mission.