It was really cool to see a different approach to science and art. It was interesting to see images of locations in the past compared to modern day and the impacts of climate change. It was also interesting to learn how she was able to map the flight path of an old expedition based on just the angles of photographs. We also learned about how soot from burning in Amazon, speeds up melting of glaciers and about how new plants popping up where glaciers melt.

It was really cool to visit the anatomical museum for the first time. I didn’t know we had such a thing on campus. I also didn’t know we had artists working in unison with the biology/medical department at Stony Brook. It was very interesting to hold a human skull for the first time.

The work of our guest speaker inspired me to look further at the trees around me. I was inspired by the beautiful colors of fall trees.

Anna Atkins is an English botanist and photographer. She was the first person to publish a book of photography and paved the way for the future of photographs in printed media. It is most likely she is the fist women to take photographs. As someone who loves both photography and botany, I admire her work. I think her images have a beautiful, simple, timeless aesthetic quality.

Presentation

Sources:

https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.136477.html

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Anna-Atkins

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/285421