Jarrid Spicer
With this week being the birthday of legendary photographer and environmentalist, Ansel Adams, as well as yesterday being the International Day of Forests, I thought it only proper to introduce you to these images of Jarrid Spicer's that remind us of the beauty of the forest and the urgency to save them. To see more images of these magical places, please visit Jarrid's website: www.jarridspicer.com .
Ancient Forest of The East
Jarrid Spicer
It is estimated that when European settlers first came to the New World, forest covered over forty-percent of the land that is now the continental United States. Today, less then one-quarter of one-percent of that ancient forest is left. My photographic images are a celebration of that original forest.
I have traveled half the country, searching for remnants of that original forest, pockets of the largest and oldest trees of their species. I set out to create images that allow a viewer to sense the majestic beauty and unique character of these rapidly disappearing areas. Some images have a dark, claustrophobic feel; some are open and airy. Others focus on the forest floor, exhibiting a rich diversity of plant life. Some of the areas I’ve photographed are considered to be the rarest and most endangered ecosystems in the world, found only on small islands of the coast of Florida, some in the heart of our national parks.
The importance of conserving such ecosystems is finally starting to trickle into to mainstream consciousness. My intent in presenting images of these last vestiges of what was once a vast, ancient forest, is not only didactic: it is also to communicate the feeling one has when standing alone amidst something so ancient, beautiful, strong-and fragile.