Creative Practice Blog #4
September 22nd, 2024
Hello! Welcome back to my blog post! Same as the previous weeks, I am exploring the theme of community through the medium of photography. This week, however, I want to shift focus slightly and explore the concept of community from an ecological perspective.
According to briticanna.com, an ecological community can be defined as “an interacting group of various species in a common location.” An example of this is a coral reef, a diverse array of organisms such as coral, fish, sponges, and algae. By this definition, communities are not limited to groups of humans, but rather they can be found everywhere you look.
With this in mind, I realized animal shelters are a perfect example of community. These spaces bring together different species—such as cats, dogs, and even small animals like hamsters. In these shelters, these animals interact, share resources, and establish social dynamics, creating their own small-scale ecosystems.
It was while I was volunteering at the North Central Florida Humane Society that I made this connection. So, I chose to photograph the interaction between some of the cats, to show the community they've formed. Which resulted in this adorable photograph!
*Reflecting upon the impact partaking in photography has had upon myself, I have repeatedly noted how therapeutic it has been. Though, recently I have been putting a bit too much pressure on myself to photograph the perfect examples of community. So, I plan to explore other forms of art to see the impact they will have upon my health. Which will hopefully remove some of the pressures I have put on myself with my photography.
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