By: eds3c_mtsu_s12 on 4/26/12
I can see where Whittle is coming from, just sitting out in the woods or by a lake or by the ocean can be a very therapeutic experience. Photography can also be a fun way of expressing yourself without having to be a good sculptor, painter, drawer, or singer. Just getting out into nature with a camera has a lot of beneficial side effects as well. I think that if a nursing home, mental health care hospital, and schools would issue cameras to their patients, students, or residents that it would help with engaging the minds of those patients, students, and residents and also help with getting people out to experience nature and possibly get them to take up an interest in preserving nature. I mean when has preserving nature and promoting the arts ever been a bad idea. As an amateur photographer or at least a person slowly getting into photography myself nature photography has to be my favorite format of photography. Some of the best photos I’ve taken have been nature or I guess you could call them a landscape formatted photograph that I took up in the state of Maine on my Spring Break vacation of last year.

By: jjs3w_mtsu on 4/26/12
Upon reading eds3c’s post about photography as a form of art therapy, I decided to look into photo-therapy and realized that it is a valid form of therapy. Another part of the post that mentions the effects of people getting out into nature is a valid argument, because the more people that are aware of all of the different forms of flora and fauna that are out there might be more interested in preserving the outdoors. No one wants to take a picture of a polluted lake full of dead fish, birds, and other local flora and fauna. Usually dead plants and animals are not a good photography subject unless it is just for a shock and awe type of display. With exposure to nature comes the want and need to try and preserve the beauty of nature for future generations to come. Maybe if our future descendents see what we had for animals and plants when we were younger they will also be interested in preserving their natural wildlife and plant life along with protecting the beauty of nature as well as not just seeing what they can destroy just to make money. This article has inspired myself to get into nature photography also.

By: sac5g_mtsu_s12 on 4/27/12
I do not know much about photography, but I do know that nature happens to look beautiful in any camera. Nature is a very beautiful thing. I’m no photographer but when I see a beautiful sunset or I go to a park, I have to pull out my phone and take pictures. The pictures turn out drop dead gorgeous majority of the time, and every time I go back to them, they are just as beautiful as they were in person. I completely agree with Dan Whittle; beauty is all around us. Many of us are so caught up in a fast paced life that we never take the time to really see the things around us. The Earth is a very beautiful thing and has many treasures to offer us. It is very sad that people don’t realize how precious the Earth is. Earth naturally gives us breath taking views and we’re quickly destroying everything. With every generation, humans are becoming more and more ignorant. We only care about materialistic things, status, and money. But the day we push our limits too far, nature will fight back and everyone will realize that there is truly nothing in the world if the environment is not protected and preserved. Tennessee of all has wonderful beauty to offer. From the luscious trees to the unique animals and rolling hills, Tennessee is one of the most beautiful places I have seen. It is nice to know that there are also other people here who appreciate the beauty of it.