Native Series – Todd Cook

Posted August 7th, 2009 / By Stacy Christian in Black/White, Inspiration, Landscape

“I’ve given this land back to god,
Though it was never really mine.
I’ll pay the taxes and be its steward,
While I’m alive and feeling fine.
I hope the next taxpayer will be its steward,
And let God keep his land when I’m dead.
So come sit and see God in all his glory,
And reflect on what I’ve said.”

–Just another Steward…
In the year of our Lord 2004, June.

The above quote summarizes my body of work entitled Native. Eastern North Carolina is home to a wide array of people who shape the very landscape they live in. From farmers to fishermen, my grandfather was one of these people, and through the use of panoramic landscapes, I’ve tried to capture an environmental fingerprint of sorts to show his humble origins and that of others like him. I’ve photographed without the physical presence of people, yet captured clues of their presence. The use of the panoramic format and long exposures helps show the passing of time and the expansiveness of the area, and how its fellow stewards shape it.

I was inspired to do this body of work because as soon as I arrived in eastern North Carolina, I felt a sense of belonging to the area. I was intrigued by the history in the area, the small communities, and the overall vastness of the land in the region. I felt limited by the standard 35mm frame and ratio; there was so much more I wanted to fit in the frame. I felt a long vertical or horizontal panoramic format would be the best solution. The project also served as a means to explore part of my heritage. All of the images in this series were shot with a Nikon d200 with a 24mm lens with distortion correction. I used a polarizer and a solid neutral density filter combined with an f22 aperture on a tripod to achieve long exposures, that way I could pick up movement. Each image is made up of 4 or more photographs that were stitched together manually in Photoshop, then toned in black and white. The final images are around 13”x50″ inches give or take. The final image in this series (the dog with the makeshift sign) was taken in Stumpy point, North Carolina, A small remote fishing village near the outer banks, and also the hometown of my grandfather. I felt the sign itself perfectly summed up what I was trying to say with this body of work. The quote at the beginning of my artist statement is taken directly from the sign.

About the Author:

Todd is a recent graduate of East Carolina University located in Greenville, North Carolina. He Received his BFA in Photography. As a child he was always creative, and has a twin brother who is a photojournalist. They both inspired each other’s creative endeavors when they were younger. When his brother picked up a camera, Todd eventually did as well and he has been at it for around 6 years now. Growing up, he lived all over the south and southern themes and imagery frequently show up in his work.