A series of Photographs by Laurie Johnson
Introduction This series of photographs has been quite an adventure for me. I began with only a general idea of what I wanted to do, which was photograph nature in parks around my area. However, it was not until my fourth photo excursion that I had a definite vision of what the final concept of the series would be. This was only decided through a long period of trial and error along with many unwanted subject suggestions. This series is to show the little things in nature that people often neglect to see as beautiful when they are presented with what society has deemed a beautiful nature scene.
Lacy Keosauqua State Park
I began shooting the series in Millennium Park in downtown Chicago. I was entirely far from thrilled about the experience and the pictures showed that to some extent. There really is a limit to how many ‘interesting’ photos can be shot in an area that has been photographed extensively by everyone from the professional photographer to the tourist. The pictures put somewhat of a damper on my creativity for a while, along with the rainy weather. During this time I nearly gave up on my idea all together for something that could have been so much simpler. However, with the help of my parents and a few of my friends, I was able to make my original idea into something so much better.
Madison County, Iowa
Starved Rock
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After a two-week break or so, I proceeded to travel back home to take photos in Lacy Keosauqua State Park in Iowa. Unknowingly, I took many photos of what would end up as the concept for my series. On this same trip, I visited the famous covered bridges in Madison County, Iowa, only to return home entirely disappointed with the results. This again had me doubting how everything was going to work out.
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The Moss
My next trip was to Starved Rock State Park in Illinois. This park is incredibly gorgeous and I took by far the most images at this location. However, I still had no real direction that I was aware of. Finally, upon another trip home, I visited Pikes Peak State Park and Backbone State Park in Iowa. The entire trip, my mother kept suggesting to me to take photos of what could be considered the main attraction of the park. I did not take her advice, as I was more interested in the fine details of the moss and grass around the area than the small waterfall we were looking at. This is what gave me the inspiration for my concept. Looking back on my trips, this was not the first time my mother had suggested photo subjects for me. When photographing Lacy State Park, she suggested jokingly that I take a photo of a patch of moss on the trail. The photo I took as a result of that is one of the best images in the series.
Backbone State Park
Pike’s Peak, Macgregor, Iowa
My last and final trip was to Bong Recreation Area in Kansasville, Wisconsin. Having a much better idea of what my focus was for my photos I took many close up shots of things in nature. I ended up with some pretty good shots but not as many as anticipated. However, I was able to complete my series with this trip.
The images in this book are of things in nature that may have been overlooked because they are too tiny or insignificant in the general public’s eyes. When visiting a park often only the major sites are given notice. Hopefully these images will inspire someone to look closer at the nature around them to find hidden beauty. My many photo excursions while working on this series have definitely made me look at things like this differently and I will continue to search for beauty in the little things.