Africa and Abandoned Theme Parks

The photographer's (Nick Brandt) words and thoughts are beautiful. Not only is he talented in the art of photography- he is also brilliantly eloquent! I'm quite surprised by how passionate he was by this, having to wait days or weeks to get one specific photo. It must have been an incredible adventure he embarked.

This photo is mesmerizing. At first I thought this photo had to be photoshopped, but it actually is not. I love the lighting coming through the clouds and how well the giraffes were set in this photograph. It's almost too pretty to be… well, real!

I definitely see rule of thirds. Even though there are multiple giraffes in this photograph, the main subject is the animal closest to the lens, on the far right. Also, the horizon is around the bottom line that is used with Rule of Thirds.

Brandt uses a Pentax 67II with only two fix lenses. This is important for how he has to get close to the animals to capture their features. It also creates the old look to the photographs, adding a beautiful effect.

He fell in love with the animals of Eastern Africa while filming in Tanzania. He knew he couldn't capture how much he loved these animals with just film, so he decided to use photography as a replacement. 

Brandt wants to show people these animals in their state of living- of being. It is not about trying to get action or drama of them, but more simplicity, more of how these animals are just naturally. He wants to capture these moments before their Being is gone. 

"To me, every creature, human or nonhuman, has an equal right to live, and this feeling, this belief that every animal and I are equal, affects me every time I frame an animal in my camera. The photos are my elegy to these beautiful creatures, to this wrenchingly beautiful world that is steadily, tragically vanishing before our eyes." - Nick Brandt

-------

Chippewa Lake Park, Medina County, Ohio is definitely the one I would like to go take photos at. The big hippie I am, I love anything old and to do with nature. This amusement park is filled with plants, trees, natural wreckage, and plenty of vines climbing over everything. The park also seems to blend in with the park's old wooden rides. It's very eerie!

1. Abandoned Hospitals

2. Caves (Water, Underground, etc.)

3. Abandoned Mansions

4. Dark, Dense Forests

5. Contemporary Art Museums

I love, love forests and the woods. Being able to go to a creepy, dense, dark forest like this one while creating beautiful photos there? That sounds lovely, lovely, lovely. I'd want to take scenery shots of the land and its elements, also possibly having a model and creating unique art with nature and the person with it. 

I would need money for a plane trip, my DSLR camera, and a tripod. I'd also need to find the right forest, do some research on the different ones I'm interested in. The laws that I would use is Fill the Frame and Rule of Thirds. I'd also need to find a place to stay and plan out how long I'd be there to shoot the photos.