More 7s from NY VT NH trip back from St. Lawrence

The language of green...

Green is everywhere… so much so that I fear it’s losing its meaning. Greenwashing is abundant. We need something new, something more accurate that will discourage hyperbole, exaggeration and false claims. Is there any such word?

“Sustainable” is the latest buzzword but what does it really mean? Boccilism is sustainable, as are poison ivy and mosquitos. Does that make them healthy or desirable? “Renewable” is another. Dioxins are easily renewable but we don’t want them. “Healthy?” There’s nothing unhealthy about natural wood products from rainforests but are they abundant and sustainable? “Environmentally sound?” Removing people from the equation would be environmentally sound but, personally speaking, I’d find that difficult. All of this suggests the need for some new labels that encompass all of the aspects of green – healthy, sustainable, renewable, environmentally responsible and more. Got ideas? If so, please send me an email at rick@ecovisualcom.com.

Revelations

I just had a brain MRI. (Nothing wrong - just an experiment.) It had me wondering if they can tell more about the inside of my head from the pictures they take or from the pictures I take.

Images, meaning and time...

Like most of us involved in photography, art and imaging I sometimes think about what it is that drives me to make images. By far, the vast majority of my original image making is for personal, not commercial purposes. With all of life’s other demands, why do I make images?

On a recent Vermont mini-vacation I shot the image above of a porch at a country inn. My own personal sensibilities run toward the ironic and my own preference is to shoot people in formal vignettes in their own environments, images of strange objects and places, and artifacts of the modern world. I tend to shy away from more traditional, scenic imagery (though I print a lot of it in my commercial life) but found myself really drawn to this image. Why? Is there a hidden story that it tells? Despite the absence of people in the image there is a “presence” here that I find compelling. Who created this scene? Was it spontaneous or staged? Who are the children and adults whose presence I feel?

If you have a story about this image, impression, fiction or fact, I’d love to know what it is. Please post a comment or email me at rick@ecovisualcom.com. Thanks.