Douglas Fir, B.C. Digital Photograph.

Smart | Phone: Digital Presence in Our Physical World, 2024

Oregon Grape Holly, B.C. Digital Photograph.

Lupine, B.C. Digital Photograph.

Reindeer Lichen, B.C. Digital Photograph.

Raspberry, B.C. Digital Photograph.

Sagebrush, B.C. Digital Photograph.

This series explores the evolving relationship between humans, technology, and our physical world. Using the smartphone camera—an accessible yet sometimes underestimated tool—I photograph plants, trees and natural structures from a low elevation, aerial perspective. In this work I reframe the way I (a human who is part of nature) interact amongst the flora. In contrast to monumental depictions of landscape which often assert dominance over the land, this approach privileges intimacy and nuanced observation. It offers a quiet, more reflective encounter. Instead of “vistas”, these images are portraits of admired plants, shrubs, trees, flowers and natural structures that I have encountered in places that I have spent countless hours in.

Drawing on Yi-Fu Tuan's concept of "topophilia," the emotional attachment to place, I seek to cultivate a connection with the environment that is rooted in presence rather than ownership or dominance. Tuan argues that our emotional and sensory bonds with land shape our understanding of it, suggesting that a shift in perspective can fundamentally alter our experience. The smartphone, with its small, unobtrusive form, becomes an instrument of mindfulness, encouraging a heightened attentiveness to the often overlooked details of the landscape.

(The names below reflect the Eurocentric knowledge of plant names as my family knows them. I have intentionally chosen to not use scientific names, nor Indigenous names as I am not Indigenous myself. The names reflect my personal, familial connections to these lands as I know them. If the common names used are incorrect, please let me know. I am open to revisions.)