PHOTO 497 A
Environmental Photography
Michelle Holt Photography
Michelle Holt is a commercial photographer currently studying at Penn State toward her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a concentration in photography. Michelle is exploring the idea of memory and the environment by photographing the destruction of Hurricane Sandy on her hometown. This project has been a challenge for her because she struggles with the emotion of photographing a destroyed environment that was once her hometown. By documenting the surreal as well as the specific details of the beach and boardwalk, Michelle hopes to convey the importance of emotion and the environment.
For more information on Michelle Holt please visit her website: michelleholt.wix.com/mhphotography
Surreal.
There isn’t a word to describe what it feels like to look upon your childhood as an unrecognizable place. It’s surreal to witness something like a hurricane because you never think it can happen to where you live. Nothing looks real. Nothing looks normal. It all seems like a scene from a horror film.
Severe.
By looking more closely, I was able to make some sense of what had become of my hometown. The pipes from a bathroom, the shattered window, the torn curtains; these are the severe specifics that make me realize this hurricane was real.
Sandy.
This is my reality. This hurricane did happen and it tore apart not only homes but lives as well. This is Sandy and this is the destruction of what happened here.