Artist: James Balog

In James Balog, I finally found a photographer that compiles photos in a very similar way to my work. One of his books, "Tree: A New Vision of the American Forest," was actually something I'd seen years ago and remembered the collaged pictures in it but I had forgotten the title and it wasn't until recently that I picked it up again. It basically compiles his own writing and photographs of trees and forests across the country. In order to present a more detailed depiction of these large, intricate subjects, he collages photos in various ways. Sometimes white sheets are hung behind trees to better distinguish them from cluttered backgrounds.

My favorite images by far are the large foldout pages depicting huge trees, such as redwoods, in a way that captures each foot of detail from the roots to the very top. To do this he rappels up nearby trees and shoots the giant in stages. The perspective is similar to that of a telephoto lens, which would be impossible to use in a dense forest. The lack of a single vanishing point causes the horizon to duplicate, and the surrounding trees are also captured beautifully. Visible throughout are tiny climbers which are dwarfed by the huge tree. I'd love to try this dynamic, "moving photographer" method of shooting this semester. I tried once before back in digital photo but couldn't quite get it right, however if I do it horizontally this time I'll have more location options.

Balog's recent project is also well worth mentioning here. He's currently working on something called the Extreme Ice Survey (EIS), which seeks to document the melting of a number of glaciers. Along with a team of experts, he's installed 27 cameras across 15 sites in Greenland, Iceland, Alaska, and the Rocky Mountains. The cameras take one photo per daylight hour, or 4,000 per year. They've been deployed since 2007, and will remain until 2014, permitted the project retains enough funding. What this means is that retreating glaciers will be captured in action through time-lapse photography, providing eye opening and hopefully very influential evidence of our planet's dire state.
http://www.jamesbalog.com
http://www.extremeicesurvey.org