Color palettes are nothing new especially in the age of Photoshop and web design. Though I don’t know if gray, green and a some varied shades of tan/brown would be a designer’s first choice when working on a corporate website or annual report. But these colors are ones I’ve grown accustom to when I arm chair surf various web-based maps for new locations to photograph/film. These patches, ones that lack life, illustrate What’s Left Behind.
These swatches of gray cut a path in the surrounding fields, mountains and farmland and show how much waste still remains from the time the coal giants cut, ran and left behind scars across Pennsylvania. They clearly give perspective regarding the mission of organizations like EPCAMR and The Center for Coalfield Justice as they provide aid in land recovery from wasteful and irresponsible practices that continue today.
Our plan is to capture (on a micro budget) the extent of bleakness that’s found within or just outside of a long list of small towns in Northeastern PA. These plans also have taken us into the booming trend of aerial remote control photography and video (which comes with its own learning curve, mainly learning how to NOT crash). Exploring the colorless terrain will be this summer’s challenge especially since it’s a rookie flying/piloting effort on our end.
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