Wednesday, February 4, 2009

How photography brings science to life

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Photo credit: Ansel Adams
Source: The National Archives and Records Administration


Recently, my husband took our younger son to the bookstore. The little one was fascinated by a coffee table book about the solar system. Isn't it amazing, how the power of photography can grab us and pull us into a scientific subject?

I recently purchased Cloudman John A. Day's The Book of Clouds. I could give you some long-winded explanation of how I need this book to accurately identify different cloud formations, but let's face it, I just like looking at the pictures.

When I was very young, my favorite book was a guide to nature, complete with a photograph of a snake devouring a frog. I thought this was endlessly fascinating. Fast forward a few years and I was skimming a magazine in a doctor's office when I saw an Ansel Adams photograph for the first time. I remember the sensation of flying through the clouds, feeling the cool mist of condensation on my arms. The photograph gave me goosebumps, along with a lifelong appreciation of Adams' work.

The next time you are at the book store, drop by a display of those oversized hard-cover tomes filled with photography. Let your mind wander over various topics and pick out images that interest you. You might be surprised at what catches your eye -- and that of your little ones.

2 comments:

CricketB said...

The school library has books on astronomy near the bottom shelf. Just the way the numbers work this year. Always evidence that it's een looked at.

jublke said...

Cool! I love libraries. :)
So many books and so little cost (unless you are chronically late returning them, like I am!).