By Brianna Holcomb
arts and enertainment editor
Besides the insane amount of puppies and food we see on Instagram, we see photographs of people travelling. Insane pictures of the sands of Dubai or the Great Wall can be found on the popular page each day.
Photographer Emily Rosa steps away from those small Instagram squares to show us these same insane views that are found in our own backyards.
“Into the Woods” is a series of photographs that capture the beauty of nature in various states within the tristate area. Images of snowy woods in Yaphank, New York, or the water of a dam in Paterson, New Jersey, showcase the beauty that can be found within the United States.
“Nature and photography are two of the few things that make me feel free,” Rosa said. “The vast area and fresh air make me feel calm and unrestricted. Nature is a huge part of my life and taking photos of beautiful landscapes is my favorite thing to do.”
Rosa uses her love of nature and photography to express what makes these landscapes so beautiful.
Each picture leaves a calming effect on the viewer. A moment outside of the hustle and bustle of everyday life is captured in these serene photographs. Often times the beauty of this country is forgotten under the amounts of fog and city life that we are so used to being surrounded by.
The white of the snow in the Yaphank photo makes the damp bark of the trees look much darker than normal. The contrast of colors in this photo makes the teepee of trees stand out.
This teepee resembles a larger scale version of the ones, I’m sure, everyone made at one point in pre-K. The loose piling of sticks pays homage to those that ruled the land prior to those that came here to build on it.
Each photograph not only showcases the attraction found in each place but the vast diversity of this beauty. The snow found in upstate New York has a different feel than that of the back woods in Pennsylvania. The different angles Rosa used to capture each landscape brings out the diversity in each.
A photo taken looking up at the dam found in New Jersey makes the structure look larger and looming over the photographer, whereas the picture of the small stream is straight-on, causing the viewer to feel as though they are inside the frame.
Rosa’s photographs do a great job of capturing the magnificence of nature in places that do not get to shine as much as the widely sought exotic ones.
“Into the Woods” will be displayed in Calkins Hall until March 19.