Wetland Double Exposures

Going back to rethink my Wetland work has been a good experience because one of the main thing it has enabled me to do is real focus it onto one key issue, when I look at what I'd original done I see a lot of good ideas and intentions but no real focus on a particular point. Below I've gone for the idea of illustrating the point of how an industrial landscape can be taken and transformed into a Wetland habitat one of our most lacking wildlife sites.
  

This first photo hits the nail on the head straight away taking a photo of one of the gravel hoppers and combining it with a photo of a summer wetland, you get the industrial side of the site and a example of how it can be taken and transformed into something far more attractive and useful to both wildlife and people.

Taking that thought a step further here by illustrating how these areas can be both a heaven for wildlife and people. One issue with wetlands in this day and age is that there seems to be this trend where they have to almost earn there own keep because maintaining the areas is not an easy process. Luckily we are a country of nature loves so in the right hands this is possible but it still has to be a very delicate balancing act between the two.

These 4 photos above pretty much all fall into the same category of showing the before and after of the life and landscape within a wetland. All capture this process of change from wasteland to something far better well but the one I feel best about has to be the one directly above showing first the main quarry buildings but then also a large flock of birds which are now using the site, ask yourself the question which would you rather see?

Here what I was getting a little of subject with a combination illustrating the diversity of plant life that can be found. A lot of the wetlands around where I live have a very small range of plant life that can make its home there dew to poor soils from the gravel extraction process being left behind. In other place far more range can be found with some spots offering a home to some very rare plant life that'd be lost if we didn't have these protected areas for them.

Like this shot a lot because it captures something of the idea that the place can go from being somewhere unaccessible to somewhere which openly encourages people to come and interact with the landscape and embrace the surrounding.

 

There are still dangers to be aware of because you have to remember that theses are ex mining sites but what you do tend to find is that they don't always inform you at some of the smaller sites. On the other hand you could look at this image and see it as showing again the contrast between the site moving from a quarry to a wetland.

Locally there are plans for a new large reed bed to plant which offers a home to some species that haven't been seen in this area for a very long time, again its being developed on the site of an old quarry and what this above shot shows is one of the more rare species that we might get moving in. Its also a good way of show how by creating theses new wetlands we can be very specific in creating the habitat to aim it at the most need.

Another image capturing the idea of making the areas so right for the wildlife while at the same time keeping it accessible to people so they can get up close to the wildlife without disturbing them in there habitat.


A good collection of images here that I'm very happy with as like I said at the start of this section its far more focused and clear in the message its getting across, in the final selection process I'll be able to make it even clearer by only picking the strongest pieces for my final collection.