Discover the timeless beauty of America’s ancient forests through the lens of photographer Mitch Epstein’s Old Growth project, a poignant reminder of the enduring power and vulnerability of these majestic ecosystems.
The Majestic Beauty of America’s Ancient Forests
Images capture the timeless beauty of America’s ancient forests, a testament to the enduring power of nature. Photographer Mitch Epstein‘s years-long project, ‘Old Growth’ , highlights the majesty and vulnerability of old-growth forests across the US.
Mitch Epstein is an American photographer known for his documentary-style work.
Born in 1954, he has been capturing the world's social and environmental issues through his lens since the 1970s.
Epstein's photographs often focus on the human impact of industrialization and technological advancements.
His notable works include 'Family Business' (1983) and 'American Power' (2005).
The latter series explores the effects of oil production in the United States.
Epstein has received numerous awards for his photography, including a Guggenheim Fellowship.
A Vanishing Realm
One-third of the world’s forests today are old-growth, but since 1990, their range has decreased by 81 million hectares. This alarming trend is a result of human activities such as deforestation, climate change, and gold mining. Epstein‘s project aimed to document what we stand to lose through these actions.
Deforestation is a significant environmental issue, resulting in loss of biodiversity, soil erosion, and increased greenhouse gas emissions.
The main causes include agriculture expansion, urbanization, and logging for timber and fuelwood.
According to the United Nations, over 13 million hectares of forest are lost annually.
This not only affects local ecosystems but also contributes to climate change by releasing stored carbon into the atmosphere.
Efforts to combat deforestation focus on sustainable land-use practices, reforestation programs, and community-led conservation initiatives.
A Journey Across America
Over the next four years, Epstein traveled to remote locations across the US to find ancient native trees and document their beauty. He captured firs, oaks, birches, and maples, including a denizen of the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest taken in California’s White Mountains in 2022. A towering sequoia, snapped on the Congress Trail in 2021 in Sequoia National Park, is another example of his work.
The Photographer’s Perspective
Epstein said the project was a departure for him. ‘I didn’t think that I could bring something new to so-called nature photography,’ he stated. ‘Maybe part of my decision to photograph ‘Old Growth’ was this realisation: that there is now no wilderness that hasn’t been touched by humans in some way, even if it’s not immediately obvious.’
- newscientist.com | Images capture the timeless beauty of Americas ancient forests
