what Could be: Philadelphia environmental awareness

By: Josselynn Hernandez

Philly is known not only for its violence but also for its dirty streets that continue to grow in filth as the days go on. Philly is called “the city of brotherly love”, unfortunately that love stops there. The love for our environment is over looked and underappreciated. People walk the streets with their heads up over looking what might be under their very feet. For this project I used the power of my camera to photograph the true colors of Philly. My goal is to open the eyes of my viewers. I want those who walk around ignoring their destructive contri-bution to the downfall of our environment to look down and think. I want them to think about the bigger picture. I want these photographs to touch those who see them and have these im-ages be engraved in their heads so that next time they think of simply dumping things on the

ground to hold on to it until they find the next trashcan.

To take this a step further I decided not to over look the natural beauty our city has, i decided to combine both to show the beauty and the beast of philly. This book doesn’t only contain filth and destructiveness, but it contains an idea of what could be. By doing this I’d plant an idea in the viewers head, an idea of a world of cleanliness, beauty and a healthy en-vironment for everyone to enjoy. Once that idea is planted, the need to be part of a healthy environment will encourage those who choose littering over taking that extra step towards the

trashcan to work towards a better community. This might not go my way, this might just be another book of photographs but I hope to at least open the eyes of some to what we could be and what we might become. We live in a world inhabited by 7 billion people, why not be one of the few to make a difference. Pick up that water bottle in the side of the street you pass everyday but never pick up, or that clutter of plastic bags stuck on the side of a fence near your house. Clean up that neighborhood you pass by everyday that you refuse to walk through. Instead of ignoring the problem or being part of

the problem, be the solution.