Isabella G.
Photojournalists Process
Shadows of the Past
Story: I was hiking on the Porter’s Creek Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park when I came upon the rusted remains of an old car. There are many such remnants of the past throughout the park, each with their own story. When the area became a national park, many native residents had to leave. Often, the items they left behind were too large and difficult to remove, so the park service just left them. To those of us who love the Smoky Mountains, each one has become its own story of what life was like long ago. This particular one spoke to me because of the way the shadows fell as I framed the photo. The shadows looked like a curtain pulling away to reveal a tiny glimpse of a long-forgotten time.
Process: I used a Canon Rebel T-6 camera on landscape setting with no filters. I manually focused and framed the photo with the car as the focal point in the middle of the trees with the shadows coming in from the side of the forest.
Life Returns
Story: Several years ago, a wildfire in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and surrounding towns destroyed forest, homes, and lives. I visited the area in the early spring after the fire. As I was walking along a trail, looking at the burned-out remains of the Sugarland area, I notice a small patch of wildflowers growing in front of a large section of charred forest. I was struck by the contrast of the delicate flowers against the backdrop of devastation. It reminded me that even when everything seems lost, hope and life always return.
Process: I used a Canon Rebel T-6 camera to take this photo. It was on the landscape setting, and I used no filters. I framed this photo using manual focus with the flowers as the focal point and the burnt-out forest as the background to tell the story of new life after destruction.
