“Scenes of Nature” Series

The United States of America

by Ryan Hoover

When I first became interested in photography, I didn’t want to photograph people, only landscape. I grew up back in the time when children played outside, together. We had Atari and Nintendo, but didn’t play them for more than 30 minutes a day (after our homework and chores were done). We didn’t have cellphones, we didn’t chase Pokémon. We played outside. We hiked. We rode bikes. We breathed fresh air.

Being out in nature has always brought me peace, either hiking through the mountains covered in snow or in the desert or listening to the crashing of the waves on the shore or even pulling weeds in my garden. The breeze and sounds of nature relax me. Looking at these images from time to time, when I cannot get away to the outdoors to recharge, can bring me a moment of peace and can calm my nerves so I can continue in my work (typically indoors).

This small collection of images is from various places around the United States, on various outings in every type of scenery. I made these images using a variety of cameras both digital and film.

I hope you enjoy these images, and when you have been in class to long and need to escape to the outdoors, come back and look at these images again. And hopefully you can take some of the peace I find in these images.

Flattop Mountain, Anchorage, Alaska – Olympus C5050Z – Digital – January 2004

Trees, Kincaid Park, Anchorage, Alaska – Graflex Crown Graphic 4×5 Press Camera – Film – Janeiro 2004

Sedona, Arizona – Graflex Crown Graphic 4×5 Press Camera – Film – December 2004

Arches National Park, Moab, Utah – Nikon N8008 – 35mm Film – December 2004

Arches National Park, Moab, Utah – Nikon N8008 – 35mm Film – December 2004

Joshua Tree National Park, California – Canon EOS 20D – Digital – March 2007

Goat Rock Beach, Jenner, California – Nikon D70 – Digital – May 2004

Superior, Arizona – Nikon D70 – Digital – Janeiro 2004

Joshua Tree National Park, California – Canon EOS 20D – Digital – March 2007

Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah – Nikon D70 – Digital – June 2007

Goat Rock Beach, Jenner, California – Nikon D70 – Digital – May 2004

Laguna Beach, California – Canon EOS 20D – Digital – December 2005

Point Loma Tidal Pools, San Diego, California – Canon EOS 20D – Digital – December 2006

Shoreline Road, Rt 1, Hardy, California – Graflex Crown Graphic 4×5 Press Camera – Film – April 2001

San Bernardino Mountains, California – Canon EOS 20D – Digital – December 2006

Lake Tahoe, California – Nikon D70 – Digital – September 2004

San Bernardino Mountains, California – Canon EOS 5D – Digital – September 2007

Sierra Mountains, California – Nikon D70 – Digital – September 2004

Prince Michel Vineyard, Charlottesville, Virginia – Canon EOS 5D – Digital – November 2008

Cherry Blossoms, Tidal Basin, Washington D.C. – Canon EOS 20D – Digital – March 2011

This series was exhibited in the Cultural Space and online portal at Faculdades INTA, Sobral, Ceará, Brazil. It ran from October 20, 2016 until February 2017.

Here is an article Sobral News about the exposition.