I will continue here some thoughts I shared yesterday on my last image sub.
To resume it is about the impressions I had while visiting Greece in the past couple of years to photograph landscapes there. I saw areas such as Meteora been completely build around (check out the first image I posted here), or the famous rock of Monemvasia (equivalent of the Greek Mt St Michel) in southwestern peloponisos been completely infected by endless building projects and thousand of cars on the rock itself. Not to mention the endless pile of trash seen in every corner of that country and I mean every corner. If I detailed what I saw I would need to spend days writing all this here.
I couldn’t agree more with the comments made by Ian Cameron about how photographers can play a role in educating, engaging and hopefully touching a cord in people’s hearts.
I also hear those of you that point out that it is a general problem seen everywhere around the world and I cannot not argue with that.
It seems that some of us are floating in complete comfort on waves apathy, I saw so much disregard to the earth while I was in Greece I was left literally stunned over and over again. Made me wonder what the hell was I doing trying to show and capture the beauty of the land when in fact it is a wounded and scarred earth that was laying in front of me. Can we really be so selfish restless and unsatisfied that we have to pick up destruction after destruction to feed a strange hunger inside? One leak here and another error there and there goes another square mile poisoned forever.
I would like to believe that it is not that case everywhere, sure nowhere it is ideal but having visited Scotland recently and the US in the past I can’t say I saw nowhere near the same disregard in those countries as I have seen in Greece or even France. Of course for the US one can easily argue that though they take better care of their own lands they have a complete disregard for any other place not called home (but that is another discussion)
The coast of Bretagne in France for instance despite some efforts to protect it now has areas that have become a giant construction site with new hotels and houses springing out of every corner. That is not seen in Yosemite despite the millions of tourists that go there every year.
In the states people have the luxury to get overly angry when Fatali leaves his traces on delicate arch, where as in other countries that would not even be a small issue since everyone has a free pass to carve anything the wish anywhere they wish.
I was in the deepest canyon of Europe (Vikos) and I saw sprayed on the canyon walls of a vista point the name of a local soccer team along with other slogans. I can’t Imagine that happening on the walls of El Capitan, could you in vision someone spraying Lakers forever, yellow blue rules there?
Above all what angers me the most is the notion that continuous building is okay next to the most pristine natural settings. Somehow some countries have the culture that if there is a beautiful natural site it deserves at least a small village next to it. It is an old way of doing things I’m afraid it is embedded in the culture. A way I honestly don’t understand nor share, villages are fine but can’t they build them say 20-30 miles farther away?
Looking forward to your thoughts.
Agreed, completely. I was in Lanzarote a few years ago, at that time with a P&S camera. It's where I was infected by the photography virus. I'll go back again as soon as I can (in terms of time & money) to capture the beauty of the place with more capable gear - hopefully before somebody builds a sausage grill on the volcanoes or a water park in Timanfaya...
Not being a world traveler (I don't fly), I was unaware of the garbage, grafitti, over-building issues of other countries. I thought (and still do) it was horrible here in the US. It's difficult to imagine it being worse elsewhere. At times, I come home very disheartened and discouraged after seeing the complete lack of respect people have for nature. If, as you mention, it's better here in the US than it is elsewhere, that's even more discouraging. Very sad that so many humans can be so arrogant and ignorant!
Interesting thoughts. There are probably myriad reasons for your observations, some of which may be on target, some may be a little miscued. Even in the US we see all kinds of nastiness like that .. we're fortunate, of course, to have in place some forms of protections in some places. But many beautiful places are without. Sure, anybody spraying "Lakers Forever" across el Cap would get in trouble. By the same token, many places do not have those kinds protections, and environmental disrespect and destruction prevails. You ever seen a clearcut forest? Personally, I'll take some trash and graffiti over a clearcut. As for over-building, I just left Atlanta, GA, which still holds the record for the fastest ever rate of deforestation on earth - Gwinnett County, I believe, in the 90's. So the kind of thing you're talking takes many forms, some of which are probably somewhat more transparent than others, largely because we so revere 'development' and 'production' that we become blind to their impacts.
I'd bet there are many many local people in scenic places worldwide with horrible abuse, trashing, and or develpment that would strongly speak out if one could roll back their clocks to times before natural destruction. Instead once an area becomes severely abused, those who might stand up and do something have already lost so apathy sets in and dominates. And most of us are mere peons against the unnatural forces of society, governments, and corporations. Thus if the status quo gives nature little value and notice, the individual can merely shout at the wind.
As a long time native Californian, I well remember how people were far more considerate of our state versus what I see today. Days of regular "Don't be a litterbug" campaigns. Those who grew up more recently might think what they see today has always been the case but that is not so. Our urban areas today are strewn with trash. A great many are quick to toss out of a car or onto a trail just about any container they finish drinking. Guaranteed one will see so many food wrappers on freeway entrances where fast food places exist that one can barely see the grass. And the disgusting spray painted graffiti is increasingly being found out on boulders in popular national forest areas. Of course there have even been a few cases of such morons at work in our more precious national parks. I for one believe the only way we might hope to change the numberless who abuse is by taking off the wimpy kids gloves and getting tough with enforcement and penalties. ...David
Discussion
4 repliesTo resume it is about the impressions I had while visiting Greece in the past couple of years to photograph landscapes there. I saw areas such as Meteora been completely build around (check out the first image I posted here), or the famous rock of Monemvasia (equivalent of the Greek Mt St Michel) in southwestern peloponisos been completely infected by endless building projects and thousand of cars on the rock itself. Not to mention the endless pile of trash seen in every corner of that country and I mean every corner. If I detailed what I saw I would need to spend days writing all this here.
I couldn’t agree more with the comments made by Ian Cameron about how photographers can play a role in educating, engaging and hopefully touching a cord in people’s hearts.
I also hear those of you that point out that it is a general problem seen everywhere around the world and I cannot not argue with that.
It seems that some of us are floating in complete comfort on waves apathy, I saw so much disregard to the earth while I was in Greece I was left literally stunned over and over again. Made me wonder what the hell was I doing trying to show and capture the beauty of the land when in fact it is a wounded and scarred earth that was laying in front of me. Can we really be so selfish restless and unsatisfied that we have to pick up destruction after destruction to feed a strange hunger inside? One leak here and another error there and there goes another square mile poisoned forever.
I would like to believe that it is not that case everywhere, sure nowhere it is ideal but having visited Scotland recently and the US in the past I can’t say I saw nowhere near the same disregard in those countries as I have seen in Greece or even France. Of course for the US one can easily argue that though they take better care of their own lands they have a complete disregard for any other place not called home (but that is another discussion)
The coast of Bretagne in France for instance despite some efforts to protect it now has areas that have become a giant construction site with new hotels and houses springing out of every corner. That is not seen in Yosemite despite the millions of tourists that go there every year.
In the states people have the luxury to get overly angry when Fatali leaves his traces on delicate arch, where as in other countries that would not even be a small issue since everyone has a free pass to carve anything the wish anywhere they wish.
I was in the deepest canyon of Europe (Vikos) and I saw sprayed on the canyon walls of a vista point the name of a local soccer team along with other slogans. I can’t Imagine that happening on the walls of El Capitan, could you in vision someone spraying Lakers forever, yellow blue rules there?
Above all what angers me the most is the notion that continuous building is okay next to the most pristine natural settings. Somehow some countries have the culture that if there is a beautiful natural site it deserves at least a small village next to it. It is an old way of doing things I’m afraid it is embedded in the culture. A way I honestly don’t understand nor share, villages are fine but can’t they build them say 20-30 miles farther away?
Looking forward to your thoughts.
Basil
Interesting thoughts. There are probably myriad reasons for your observations, some of which may be on target, some may be a little miscued. Even in the US we see all kinds of nastiness like that .. we're fortunate, of course, to have in place some forms of protections in some places. But many beautiful places are without. Sure, anybody spraying "Lakers Forever" across el Cap would get in trouble. By the same token, many places do not have those kinds protections, and environmental disrespect and destruction prevails. You ever seen a clearcut forest? Personally, I'll take some trash and graffiti over a clearcut. As for over-building, I just left Atlanta, GA, which still holds the record for the fastest ever rate of deforestation on earth - Gwinnett County, I believe, in the 90's. So the kind of thing you're talking takes many forms, some of which are probably somewhat more transparent than others, largely because we so revere 'development' and 'production' that we become blind to their impacts.
Cheers
Carl
As a long time native Californian, I well remember how people were far more considerate of our state versus what I see today. Days of regular "Don't be a litterbug" campaigns. Those who grew up more recently might think what they see today has always been the case but that is not so. Our urban areas today are strewn with trash. A great many are quick to toss out of a car or onto a trail just about any container they finish drinking. Guaranteed one will see so many food wrappers on freeway entrances where fast food places exist that one can barely see the grass. And the disgusting spray painted graffiti is increasingly being found out on boulders in popular national forest areas. Of course there have even been a few cases of such morons at work in our more precious national parks. I for one believe the only way we might hope to change the numberless who abuse is by taking off the wimpy kids gloves and getting tough with enforcement and penalties. ...David