the geology of place

One of the elements that contributes to a sense of place in a landscape is geology—from fine sand to large boulders and expanses of bedrock. I am especially aware of the geology when traveling in places such as the American Southwest or the Badlands of South Dakota—partly because they are so different from where I live on the East Coast, but also because one can experience so many different geologic environments along a single road. Plus, a more open landscape makes it easier to see such things.

Boulder details from Great Cranberry Island almost look like the fingerprints, each one unique.

But even where the terrain isn’t quite as dramatic, there can still be unique and varied geologic features. A perfect example is Great Cranberry Island, located off the coast of Maine near Acadia National Park, where every place you can access the ocean is different. There are large expanses of dark gray rock; beaches covered in round, granite cobbles; sandy beaches; cliffs of massive pinkish and gray stone blocks; areas with broken, angular boulders; and others with huge rounded boulders in many colors. A few spots have wonderful tide pools for exploring, as well.

Whether stone or soil, something I always look for when exploring a place is the color and texture of the earth underfoot. Is it fine sand, heavy clay or rich loam? It is littered with gravel, dotted with boulders or covered in expanses of granite? Is it brown, black, gray, red, white or some other color? These same colors and materials often show up in local building materials.

I look even closer for details and patterns in the earth. Is it smooth, coarse or jagged? Wet or dry? Solid colored, striated or speckled? What patterns has the tide left in the sand? How has time aged the stone? I have come to think of these as the fingerprints of a place. What would be the fingerprints where you live? Are there places where you have traveled and remembered such details?

---

Fall Workshops and Exhibitions

I’m finalizing the locations for my upcoming workshop, An Intimate Portrait of Place. There are so many fascinating places to go in Coastal Maine, so I rotate some destinations each year, and try working in one new location. This is a five-day, in-person workshop offered through Maine Media Workshops and based in Rockport—a beautiful little harbor town sandwiched between Camden and Rockland.

The workshop is just a couple of weeks away (October 7-11), but it’s not too late to register. We will look at what gives a geographic location a unique sense of place and photograph not only the landscape but also designed and built environments that reflect the relationship between humans and the land over time. We’ll explore habitats such as the rocky shoreline, meadows, estuaries, and woodlands, as well as working harbors, towns, and historic sites. Some days we’ll go on extended field trips. On other days, we’ll work closer to Rockport, with time for lessons, discussions, and image reviews. Days will be packed!

Today however, I’m on my way to Slow Exposures, a photo festival in Zebulon and Concord, Georgia. My work will be included in Being in Place, a group exhibition known as The Barn Show at Split Oak Farm. The exhibition was curated by Anne Berry and features eleven photographers who present work about knowing or finding place. (Be sure to check out the video created by Addison Brown of last year’s Barn Show, which I also participated in.)

Award-winning author Janisse Ray wrote the exhibition statement for the barn show and will be teaching a writing workshop on the theme of place later today. She believes that “engagement with places—a more powerful alignment with a person’s actual place on earth—can help us find deeper meaning in our lives, strengthen the fabric of life around us, and build a network of support that is sometimes nonhuman.”

The festival runs through Sunday, September 22 and includes a main show, the Barn Show, pop-up exhibitions around town and in the country, artist talks and a photo book fair.

I hope you are all doing well and seeing signs of fall. It’s still pretty hot here in Georgia, with temps close to 90, but we’ve also had some lovely, cooler days with nice breezes to hint at the coming season. Enjoy your weekend!