Al Baum

My photography reflects my primary aesthetic goal not just to capture unique, artistically composed images, which are often highlighted by vivid colors and dramatic contrasts, but also an underlying ethical motivation to help preserve the natural environment as well as the wildlife that depend on it. As Anaïs Nin eloquently remarked, “We don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are.” Among the celebrated photographic artists I admire and emulate most is Ansel Adams, because of his transcendental landscape images, especially of the Yosemite area. Like Adams, I view nature photography as a contribution to the environmental conservation effort, and my recent experimental series of mixed media photopoems—poems incorporated into thematically relevant photographic images—serves especially to promote public awareness of the critical need to protect natural preserves and wildlife.