Choose one of the photos from Photo Gallery 1 or 2 and consider its meaning. What could the photographer’s intention have been? What hidden message or symbolic representation is embedded in the picture?
I chose “Soil” from image gallery one. I chose this one because I saw many elements that are interesting and appealing. This picture is of woods that have been littered in. I saw this as a double entendre, because in the foreground is a used bag of top soil in a tree branch. The photographer played upon literal meaning of soil, and the verb to soil, meaning to ruin something. I think there is a definite symbolic representation with “soiling” nature, and how wasteful we are as a society. These woods in the picture are ruined, it’s going to take years to decompose the plastic bags entirely with only nature and the elements to help them. It shows that even after humans leave the Earth, it will take years and years for nature to recuperate and become pure again. Humans are to Earth as parasites are to animals. We use Earth for it’s resources without making sure the host is taken care of. This photo has a very important message that is completely applicable to today’s attitude of the Earth and nonrenewable resources. If we cared about our host, the Earth, we would be using more windmills and solar panels, and using the resources nature is already providing us. This picture can have several meaning depending on the viewers opinions, and that is one reason I picked this picture.
ashleygilbert1 