Forester by day and photographer by night, the combination of art and science transformed my view of the natural world. Documenting it professionally and with my lens over the past decade (see "The Mandate" exhibit) allowed me to connect and discern the details and patterns of Mother Earth, how they change throughout the day, the seasons, and over the years. I could see, on the ground, how humans are an integral part of the larger ecological community, neither superior nor dominant (Aldo Leopold, 1949). This ecocentric view, centered on the environment, drastically contrasted against the more common human-centered, anthropocentric, view, which places humans on a dominating pedestal and considers "animals" and "plants" as things to own. My perception changed when I began to notice human behaviors in animals and animal behaviors in myself and others around me. The environment had become the like of a culturally diverse human neighborhood, and those resembled large-scale ant colonies. It is from this world turned upside down that the Anthrop O Naturel exhibit was born (A.K.A. humans in their natural form).

To remind us of our place as equals in the global ecosystem, I tell the story of our world as a forester and artist perceives it: a community of individuals (flora and fauna) with minds of their own, an emotional capacity, belonging to different cultures (species), and speaking different languages. It is introduced with the piece "Individuality" to demonstrate the underestimated individuality in nature by highlighting the difference in fascial traits of 20 different flowers of the same species (Prairie Lily). The "Blooming Personalities" (flora) and "Wild Portraiture" (fauna) series present the characters and their human-like traits using anthropomorphism. The "Motion" series brings the characters to life. I explore movement by portraying typically human behaviors in animals using installations mounted in a manner analogous to filmstrip. Finally, "The Stage" series sets the theatrical environment in which these characters interact. With breathtaking landscape panoramas, large-scale images, and installations, it sets the mood, describes ecosystem processes clashing with the characters, and give a feel for what life might be like in the wild.