Native

“I’ve given this land back to god,
Though it was never really mine.
I’ll pay the taxes and be its steward,
While I’m alive and feeling fine.
I hope the next taxpayer will be its steward,
And let God keep his land when I’m dead.
So come sit and see God in all his glory,
And reflect on what I’ve said.”

        --Just another Steward…
          In the year of our Lord 2004, June.

   The above quote summarizes my body of work entitled Native. Eastern North Carolina is home to a wide array of people who shape the very landscape they live in. From farmers to fishermen, my grandfather was one of these people, and through the use of panoramic landscapes, I’ve tried to capture an environmental fingerprint of sorts to show his humble origins and that of others like him. I’ve photographed without the physical presence of people, yet captured clues of their presence. The use of the panoramic format and long exposures helps show the passing of time and the expansiveness of the area, and how its fellow stewards shape it.