EnvironmentalChallenges

This exhibition aims to showcase the beauty of Earth's natural environments while raising awareness about the urgent environmental challenges they face today. Environmental Challenges and Paradises is not only a visual feast but also a call to action. By presenting the stark realities of environmental degradation alongside the breathtaking beauty of untouched natural paradises, the exhibition aims to inspire reflection, awareness, and a renewed commitment to preserving Earth's delicate ecosystems for future generations.

Among the photographs exhibited here are a series of striking images depicting deforestation, pollution, climate change effects and other human-induced environmental impacts. These photographs serve as a powerful introduction to the exhibition, highlighting the urgency of addressing these issues.

Photographs capturing the sprawling urban landscapes, industrial areas, and the juxtaposition of concrete jungles against natural landscapes. These images illustrate how human development has encroached upon and altered natural habitats.

Photographs documenting specific impacts of climate change underscore the direct consequences of global warming and the urgent need for climate action.

But there is also a breathtaking collection of photographs showcasing untouched natural wonders: remote mountain ranges. magnificent coastal regions and even a beautiful highway. These images remind viewers of the awe-inspiring beauty and biodiversity that still exist on our planet.

Our jury panel would like to congratulate our three top place winners!

Manuela Federal receives $300 for her photograph “Work at Agbogbloshie” and a gallery of her work in the Featured section of our website.

Ros Winner Sterling receives $200 for her photograph “February”.

And Joy Saha receives $100 for his photograph “Plastic Bottle Recycling”.

Click on images to learn more

First Place

Work at Agbogbloshie — Manuela Federl

Agbogbloshie is one of the largest e-waste yards in the world. Electronic waste that is disposed of in the first world ends up in huge mountains of garbage here, where the poorest of the poor try to remove the copper from the leftover cables. They burn the cables, releasing toxic fumes that not only harm their health, but also the environment. The problem is that people in first world countries no longer repair their stuff, but buy something new far too quickly. Old, broken devices are “disposed of” and end up in Agbogbloshie. Thousands of people work on these mountains of waste. All those who don't get a chance anywhere else. They say themselves: this place is hell on earth.
— Manuela Federl
Print $300

February — Ros Winner Sterling

Environmental changes are evident all around us. This photo shouldn't exist; February in New York City is cold. Does this dripping, melting treat foretell our fate?
— Ros Winner Sterling

50.77 x 70.56 cm NFS

Plastic Bottle Recycling — Joy Saha

A woman worker sorts used plastic bottles in a recycling factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh. She helps to prevent the bottles from being discarded, sent to landfill, where they can take 1,000 years to biodegrade, or incinerated, which produces toxic fumes. The emission of CO2 and other greenhouse gases will be reduced if recycling takes place in the production of new plastics.
— Joy Saha

54.5"x40.9" $600

Your Morning Drive – Ryan Crane

My journey into photography was initially inspired by the photographer Scott Frederick, followed by a trip to Disney when suddenly people wanted to buy prints. This got me looking around and I realized we've forgotten about the world around us. At first my goal was to remind people that we live in a beautiful place and we just have to look up to see it. Through my precancer travels I would always see the destruction of this beautiful world and realized that needs to be put in front of people equally as much. Whether through a more direct message like my old book on a stump or the toxic factories we see here when heading into NYC. If we don't visually remind people, quite honestly, they don't care.
— Ryan Crane

NFS

Stump — Alix Deane

My practice demands a participation of close looking toward the earth and my personal narrative; mirroring the way I move through space and time. I work with materials tied to the rich histories of my home place; which include but are not limited to the pulp and paper industry, x-ray film and silicon production, and agriculture. Most recently, I have been working with materials which use the language of historical photographic processes and medicine in order to capture the sense of my home landscape.
My work is an undertaking of writing the story of coming of age in a world saturated with illness; it is my way of reading, writing, and rewriting the human condition.
— Alix Deans
10"x10" $150

FOUNTAIN Gyumri, Armenia — Hervé Constant

Hervé Constant is a London-based French artist. He was born in Casablanca, Morocco.
Hervé’s work is a mixture of different interests, and social and cultural influences.
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Extract of an Interview between the Artist Hervé Constant and Madelyn Freeman:

MF: Why did you go to Armenia?

HC: I was curious to know more. I read in the past its history and had pieces of information. I liked the idea of knowing a bit more about their archaeology and knowing more about their symbols, Monasteries, and culture. It has been great to visit so many Monasteries, but also villages and museums. I mean especially the museums in Yerevan, to see Armenian archaeology. I did have a wonderful time and I am incredibly grateful to have received this opportunity.

32x50cm £350

Pollinators Paradise — Amy Madwed

I am a lifelong visual artist who focuses on underlying patterns that weave our reality with an intricacy too complex to consciously understand completely. In simpler terms, I am searching for the magic to portray and share.
Currently, I take raw photos of subjects including street art, reflections, nature, birds, butterflies, and other animals. I cut to collage or juxtapose the photos as panels in an art piece. I also do short animated videos and their soundtracks. thanks.
— Amy Madwed
26"x25" $800

Coming in to land — Connie Chaplin

An observation of the curious and resilient natural world that co-exists alongside us as city dwellers; considering the complexities of city animals’ lives, and how they manage to thrive despite us and our edifices, as well as the all-consuming state of plant life, persistent regardless of what we put in its way. Often these are overlooked, ignored or even seen as vermin, but this is just as much their home as it is ours, and their lives are just as meaningful and one day, a long time from now, this place may become their domain yet again.
— Connie Chaplin
4.61cm x 4.61cm NFS

Wasteland and Smoke from an Underground Mine Fire — Colin Smith

For the Past 16 years I have been capturing the coal industries affect on central Pennsylvanian towns and the environment.
These photos cover bodies of water filled with acid mine drainage (which the UN calls one of the world biggest problems outside of global warming), to underground mine fires thats have been burning from 60 to over 100 years.
The first part shows Acidic Landscapes, lakes, steams and abandoned mines filled with acid mine drainage left behind by abandoned and flooded mines. The water becomes orange from high iron concentrates when heavy metal dissolves in the water.
The second part examines Acid Microbiomes. This shows colorful leptothrix discophora in acid mine drainage eating at the heavy iron content. While the colors are pretty, it is troubling why it is there in the first place.
The last part is called Miasma. This covers two different mine fires in Pennsylvania. Centralia, which gets quite a bit of recognition, and the lesser known but older Laurels Run. Centralia has been burning for close to 60 years and Laurels Run have been burning since 1915.
While these photos are depressing. It is important that we look at the environmental challenges with coal mining and the very real, long term damage it leaves in it's wake.
— Colin Smith
7"x11" $200

Hurricane Eta — Heather Crane

All of the pieces I have submitted are part of a larger project to tell the story of the Indian River Lagoon which stretches north and south along Florida's east coast. The waters themselves and the landscapes around them are home to hundreds of thousands of unique and charismatic species like manatees, dolphins, and sharks. Not only do these plants and animals rely on this critical environment, but the prosperity of the lagoon also affects the local economy and residents' wellbeing. Over the past hundred years, the lagoon has become polluted with agricultural and residential runoff, sewage, and other human waste. Development has recently exploded in the area as well, putting more strain on biodiversity and the land's ability to absorb pollutants, heat, and rain. Increasingly dramatic hurricanes striking the area also threaten human and animal lives, leading to sea turtle nest exposure and sewage overflows. Recently, conservation groups have begun to work on removing muck from the lagoon bottom, revitalizing oyster beds, and replanting sea grasses. However, left at its current pace, climate change will literally wash away all of their efforts. I hope my work can motivate others into trying to protect these beautiful places.
— Heather Crane
NFS

Invasives — Laure Dunne

I have been startled by invasive vines strangling and smothering vegetation along roadsides and on private property. Clearly this phenomenon is a sign of global warming. In summer, vines cover bushes and plants like a giant green carpet. In early spring the dormant tangle of vines emphasizes their deadly capabilities.
— Laure Dunne

15"x10" $300

Lake Bohinj, Slovenia — Malcolm Glass

My photographs of the environment portray the beauty of the world we are trying to save, the paradise we are in danger of losing. To emphasize the beauty of this planet, and to give the viewer new ways of seeing the world, I often use alternative and innovative techniques, such as infrared film, swing-lens cameras, and full-film images.
— Malcolm Glass

11"x14"" $300

Dune — Will Shotwell

I am a photographer and I like shooting nature sometimes.
— Will Shotwell

NFS

Way Home — Van Dong Nguyen

Climate change has caused many natural disasters such as storms, droughts, floods... and has caused great consequences to human life. We not only need to raise awareness and knowledge of prevention, but also need to know how to live scientifically and join hands to do everything possible to minimize the impact of climate change!
— Van Dong Nguyen

NFS

Drought crisis of the Urmia Lake — Mehrdad Vahed Yousefabad

I was born 1991 in Tabriz, Iran. I started photography in 2015 as a freelance photographer and after graduating from MSc of Mechatronics at IAUT, I started long term projects focused in urban life and environment changes. I was selected as nominee for Talent of the Year 2020 in International Photography Grant, finalist of FINI 2020 Festival and finalist In portfolio section of HIPA 2019 and 2021 for my project ‘’Hope in the rain’’ about drought crisis of Urmia Lake.
— Mehrdad Vahed Yousefabad

50x70 cm $200

Plastic and Feathers — Oksana Bochina

In "Plastic and Feathers," the viewer is presented with a powerful visual narrative of adaptation and survival in an urbanized world. The photograph features two birds that have built their nest using a mix of natural materials and blue plastic, all delicately balanced on a chain. This composition vividly illustrates the impact of human activity on wildlife and their habitats. By incorporating synthetic debris into their nesting, these birds showcase the resilience and adaptability of nature amidst growing environmental challenges. The image prompts a reflection on the pervasive reach of pollution and its effects on the natural world, urging viewers to consider the broader implications of their actions on the environment. It captures the delicate balance between coexistence and conflict, reminding us of the pressing need for sustainable practices.
— Oksana Bochina

30x45 cm $150

Beautiful Day — Marcia Cooper

“Beautiful Day” derives from a waterside inlet I have been documenting over the years. Despite minimal human activity, I continually encounter the intrusion and assault of debris scattered amidst its natural elements. Once pristine dunes now spotted with plastic and rubber - this detritus inevitably interacts with almost every aspect of the landscape’s eco-system. These observations have led me to question, study and depict how nature responds to such disturbances and sustain its drive to survive.

-Marcia Cooper

12” x 18” Giclee
$ 550

Fire and Frost — Paul Shoul

When most of Western Massachusetts was sleeping on the morning of April 25th, 2024, at 3:00 a.m., Red Fire Farm community members were out lighting fires to save their peach trees from a late spring frost. Thank a local farmer. When you bite into that perfect moment of summer's sweetness, remember the hours of work, love, dedication, and community support that brought that fruit into your hand.
— Paul Shoul

$500

The most beautiful road in the world - the legendary Pan Americana — Matthias Barth

Matthias Barth, also known as Thepostcardman, creates images through an amalgamation of analog and digital photographic techniques so that he may share new perspectives that leave us questioning our relationship to reality. Exploring the natural world, the man-made metropolis, and the convergence of the two, the beauty in the mundane surfaces. Through people, landscapes, and objects, he excavates the often surreal visual language of our contemporary lives. His evolving experimental practice engages with everything from portraiture to drone shots as he masterfully manipulates light and composition so that his photographs can transcend barriers of language, culture, or society itself. By allowing his processes to morph and change to meet the needs of his subjects, a universality of meaning is unearthed. Whether it be the thrill of the journey into the unknown or the inherent loneliness it evokes, he challenges viewers to rethink the way they see and experience the world around them.

150x60 cm $4500

Skyscraper Skylines — Olivia Fernandez

Around the world infrastructure fills our skylines. Without any second thought, we accept that our environment these roads, buildings, etc are built over all that is natural. We lose sight that the accommodation is being done by nature and not vice versa. In this series, these objects that block our beautiful New York City landscape are highlighted to do away with the disarray they bring to the eyes of those who feed into the modern world Manhattan skyline.
— Olivia Fernandez

14x16" $40

Sector 23 (volatile load) — Shelley Hodes

ToraNecrocene; A Time period of Earth in the far distant future where no forms of life remain. Technically and spiritually evolved humans have long since found other more verdant planets to populate. Through the legends of time this diaspora yearned to seek evidence of their history and sent archeological teams back to earth to explore. This is some of what they found.
— Shelley Hodes

8.5x11" $125

Boat on the beach, tsunami site, Sri Lanka — Richard Murrin

Boat on the beach at the site of the 2004 tsunami, which had been covered in wreckage & where the railway had been before the tsunami. The railway & it’s trains were washed out to sea as the wave receded.
— Richard Murrin

A1 24.4” X 33.1” $200
A2 16.5” X 23.4” $150
A3 11.7” X 16.5” $100

Haystack, Yuma County, 2021 — Judith Leckrone Lee

Every spring, I visit my father in the outskirts of Yuma, Arizona located in the most southwest corner of the southwest US. It lies at the intersection of Arizona, California and Mexico - a Bermuda Triangle where anything of interest and beauty seems to have vanished. The once lush Sonoran Desert has been traumatized by corporate agriculture, the military, sprawling RV lots, manufactured home subdivisions, indigenous and immigrant poverty, climate impacts and abandonment. The desert landscape written off as empty, boring or dead and bulldozed into service or gussied up with imported tropical palm trees.
— Judith Leckrone Lee

17"x24" $500

Night Vision — Mary Jane Tenerelli

My landscape and flora photos are meant to make people slow down and really look at the astonishing beauty, both gentle and fierce, that exists all around us. It is my hope that I can convey the essence of that beauty in both feel and image using both close up and abstracted photos. Fostering a love of something is likely to induce the desire to protect that thing.
— Mary Jane Tenerelli

16"x20" $475

Singularity — Shelly Fatal

This collection of photographs reveals phenomena that often go unnoticed. Microscopic or disregarded, they're vital to the complex interactions that shape Earth's environments.
Singularity presents a cluster of squid eggs. Among many of its kind, the individual seems insignificant: but it represents the beginning of countless minute potentials that help shape its ecosystem.
By recognizing this microscopic beauty, we can learn to appreciate each organism's place in the greater biosphere.
— Shelly Fatal

38"x51.3" NFS

Second Place

Third Place

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H2O Perspectives

FLASH #16

H2O Perspectives:
Exploring the Essence of Water

Decagon Gallery

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First Place

Second Place

Third Place