Project 2: Research

Mars on Earth -  Cassandra Klos
We are inundated with information about the cosmos, whether it is the appearance of water on a different planet or landing our man-made satellite on a comet. It is clear we are awed by this celestial imagery we cannot comprehend, and yet this unknown contributes to a need for exploration past our comfortable bounds. The interest of expanding the human race onto the planets around us is not a new concept, but only since the last few decades has the scientific community truly explored the idea that our neighbor planet, Mars, may be more like Earth than we ever considered.

I found the "Mars on Earth" series by Cassandra Klos to be extremely captivating. The series has a new and interesting perspective because it tricks the viewer into thinking the photos were not even taken in our world. The use of astronaut suits and futuristic structures really makes the photos seem like they were taken on Mars. But while Klos does take advantage of props to further sell the illusion, they aren't absolutely necessary. The photos of massive barren landscapes would fit in with the rest of the series even if the space technology wasn't so prominent. The image above stood out to me from the rest of the series both because it was the most convincing image of "Mars on Earth," and because it tells a story. The anonymous astronaut sits on the hill overlooking the base, taking in the surroundings (which are beautiful, despite how desolate they are). The photo makes the viewer wonder, what is next for this astronaut? Where are they going? Where did they come from?

Fish & Swimmers, Ironman Triathlon - Wayne Levin
Wayne Levin takes a new perspective with his photography by taking nearly all of his photos underwater. This image in particular is particularly interesting because of the juxtaposition of the fish swimming around at the bottom and the people swimming around on top. My favorite part of this image is that the people swimming seem to have no idea of what is going on below the surface. They are exerting their body as much as they can to complete the triathlon quickly, but they are completely unaware of the serenity found in the world below them. Similarly, the fish don't seem too bothered about the 100 people splashing around above them. 

I don't know if I can use either of these perspectives for my project (unless I get a waterproof camera or move to somewhere that looks like mars), but I still thought they were great photos!


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