Local Photography Exhibit Promotes Alachua County Forever
May08, arts May 18th, 2008
By Horacio Sierra, May 2008
Gainesville native Mac Stone’s photography project “The Hidden Heart of Alachua County” will be in residence at the Randy Batista Gallery in downtown Gainesville through May 30. The gallery offers guests an intimate peek into some of Alachua County’s most secluded natural areas, many of which have been acquired by the taxpayer-funded Alachua County Forever land preservation program.
The twenty five photographs showcased in the gallery represent Alachua County’s stunning menagerie of ecologically diverse flora, from swampy hammocks to towering pineland, and fauna, from menacing alligators and enigmatic owls to neon green frogs and lava-spotted snakes.
Mentored by Gainesville photographers such as John Moran, Larry Korhnak, and Randy Batista, Stone’s work demonstrates a unique knack for inviting the viewer’s eyes to absorb and appreciate the entire photograph. Stone accomplishes this by capturing strong natural colors and lighting and framing the photograph so that discreetly situated elements such as an upturned lily pad or the sliver of the moon inspire viewers to reflect on all of the print’s elements rather than just the predominant subject matter.
Stone has been photographing nature since a young age. Stone said he remembers frequently arriving to high school “when the first bell was ringing, already covered in mud and liverwort from a sunrise shoot.” After graduating from Eastside High School, Stone went on to major in environmental affairs, Spanish, and international politics at Virginia Tech. Since then he has dedicated most of his photography to the natural areas surrounding his hometown of Gainesville as well as various areas in Latin America. Stone is currently working on a project in a small mountain village in Honduras where he employs digital photography as a pedagogical tool to teach local school children about the importance of land conservation.
ACF administrators took interest in Stone’s photography when they saw the photos he was taking in and around Kanapaha Prairie. They asked Stone if he could use his talents to document lands around Alachua County that had been purchased for conservation purposes by the program. Stone’s commitment to ensuring that his photography works toward inspiring people to continue protecting our remaining natural areas motivated him to work with ACF. Although the exhibit is a culmination of six years’ worth of work by Stone, the majority of photos were shot in the last two years in tandem with Stone’s involvement with ACF.
More than 13,000 acres have been protected through ACF but there is still more work to be done. This need is best exemplified by the fact that the public has nominated more than 230,000 acres for being preserved by ACF. Time is quickly running out to repeat such an effort in time for the November 2008 ballot because of the need for efficient county-wide organizing, dozens of volunteers, and roughly $100,000 to run a successful campaign. There is some talk about linking a renewal of ACF to a one-cent sales tax being proposed by the Gainesville Chamber of Commerce. No plans have been finalized yet.
As Alachua County Land Conservation Program Manager Ramesh Buch explains, most people are willing to be taxed to protect our natural environment and resources when they realize it comes out to about “a few large pizzas a year” – or roughly $33 per household.
When asked about his hopes for making people more aware of programs like ACF, Stone expresses his indebtedness to the program and others like it: “For all the benefits that land conservation and resource management bring to our county and me personally as a nature photographer, I feel a great debt. I’m hoping that my exhibition will reciprocate the favor by giving credence and purpose to environmental initiatives like the ACF and spark a heightened awareness and even action amongst citizens to want to protect our natural wonders.”
Stone explains that many people who see his photos are surprised to know that they were shot just minutes from their own home. Because many people have never taken the time to explore the areas of Alachua County featured in Stone’s photography, he hopes that they will “dare to explore and fall in love with their backyards” as he has.
“The Hidden Heart of Alachua County” is a poignant name for the exhibit. Without the rich biodiversity of the county’s natural areas, the water, air, and land we live off of would be unsuitable for the kind of enjoyable lifestyle so many of us in North Florida enjoy. Stone’s exhibit underscores the importance of renewing ACF as its reservoir of money quickly dries up. The local Suwanee-St. Johns Sierra Club is encouraging citizens to ask those individuals running for Alachua County Commission about their plans for supporting the renewal of ACF. Admission to the Randy Batista Gallery is free and open to the public at 21 SE 2nd Place in Gainesville. In addition to the installation of twenty five printed images, dozens of Stone’s photographs are being exhibited digitally at www.randybatistaphotography.com and at Stone’s own website, www.macstonephoto.com.
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Local Photography Exhibit Promotes Alachua County Forever
May08, arts May 18th, 2008
By Horacio Sierra, May 2008
Gainesville native Mac Stone’s photography project “The Hidden Heart of Alachua County” will be in residence at the Randy Batista Gallery in downtown Gainesville through May 30. The gallery offers guests an intimate peek into some of Alachua County’s most secluded natural areas, many of which have been acquired by the taxpayer-funded Alachua County Forever land preservation program.
The twenty five photographs showcased in the gallery represent Alachua County’s stunning menagerie of ecologically diverse flora, from swampy hammocks to towering pineland, and fauna, from menacing alligators and enigmatic owls to neon green frogs and lava-spotted snakes.
Mentored by Gainesville photographers such as John Moran, Larry Korhnak, and Randy Batista, Stone’s work demonstrates a unique knack for inviting the viewer’s eyes to absorb and appreciate the entire photograph. Stone accomplishes this by capturing strong natural colors and lighting and framing the photograph so that discreetly situated elements such as an upturned lily pad or the sliver of the moon inspire viewers to reflect on all of the print’s elements rather than just the predominant subject matter.
Stone has been photographing nature since a young age. Stone said he remembers frequently arriving to high school “when the first bell was ringing, already covered in mud and liverwort from a sunrise shoot.” After graduating from Eastside High School, Stone went on to major in environmental affairs, Spanish, and international politics at Virginia Tech. Since then he has dedicated most of his photography to the natural areas surrounding his hometown of Gainesville as well as various areas in Latin America. Stone is currently working on a project in a small mountain village in Honduras where he employs digital photography as a pedagogical tool to teach local school children about the importance of land conservation.
ACF administrators took interest in Stone’s photography when they saw the photos he was taking in and around Kanapaha Prairie. They asked Stone if he could use his talents to document lands around Alachua County that had been purchased for conservation purposes by the program. Stone’s commitment to ensuring that his photography works toward inspiring people to continue protecting our remaining natural areas motivated him to work with ACF. Although the exhibit is a culmination of six years’ worth of work by Stone, the majority of photos were shot in the last two years in tandem with Stone’s involvement with ACF.
More than 13,000 acres have been protected through ACF but there is still more work to be done. This need is best exemplified by the fact that the public has nominated more than 230,000 acres for being preserved by ACF. Time is quickly running out to repeat such an effort in time for the November 2008 ballot because of the need for efficient county-wide organizing, dozens of volunteers, and roughly $100,000 to run a successful campaign. There is some talk about linking a renewal of ACF to a one-cent sales tax being proposed by the Gainesville Chamber of Commerce. No plans have been finalized yet.
As Alachua County Land Conservation Program Manager Ramesh Buch explains, most people are willing to be taxed to protect our natural environment and resources when they realize it comes out to about “a few large pizzas a year” – or roughly $33 per household.
When asked about his hopes for making people more aware of programs like ACF, Stone expresses his indebtedness to the program and others like it: “For all the benefits that land conservation and resource management bring to our county and me personally as a nature photographer, I feel a great debt. I’m hoping that my exhibition will reciprocate the favor by giving credence and purpose to environmental initiatives like the ACF and spark a heightened awareness and even action amongst citizens to want to protect our natural wonders.”
Stone explains that many people who see his photos are surprised to know that they were shot just minutes from their own home. Because many people have never taken the time to explore the areas of Alachua County featured in Stone’s photography, he hopes that they will “dare to explore and fall in love with their backyards” as he has.
“The Hidden Heart of Alachua County” is a poignant name for the exhibit. Without the rich biodiversity of the county’s natural areas, the water, air, and land we live off of would be unsuitable for the kind of enjoyable lifestyle so many of us in North Florida enjoy. Stone’s exhibit underscores the importance of renewing ACF as its reservoir of money quickly dries up. The local Suwanee-St. Johns Sierra Club is encouraging citizens to ask those individuals running for Alachua County Commission about their plans for supporting the renewal of ACF. Admission to the Randy Batista Gallery is free and open to the public at 21 SE 2nd Place in Gainesville. In addition to the installation of twenty five printed images, dozens of Stone’s photographs are being exhibited digitally at www.randybatistaphotography.com and at Stone’s own website, www.macstonephoto.com.
