Finding Beauty in Nature—And the Reality That Comes With It

There are moments behind the camera that stay with you—quiet, unexpected, and strangely beautiful. These two photos were exactly that for me. I didn’t plan them, I didn’t scout the locations, and I definitely didn’t expect discarded objects to become the focal points of some of my favorite images I’ve ever taken. But sometimes photography captures honesty, even when it’s uncomfortable.

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The first image came from a quiet afternoon by a lake in the New Jersey Pine Barrens, where the sky mirrored itself in perfectly still reflections. Everything felt untouched and peaceful—until my eye caught a broken, abandoned chair half-submerged in the lake. Its presence shattered the serenity of the scene, a stark reminder of how easily human carelessness can intrude on nature’s calm.

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The second was deep in the woods, surrounded by fiery red leaves in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, where a crushed cardboard box sat wedged between branches. The colors were stunning, the composition felt almost cinematic… and yet the subject was a piece of trash someone had tossed aside without a second thought.

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These photos remind me of a hard truth: littering doesn’t just “look bad”—it directly impacts the environment and the animals that call it home. 

A single piece of trash left behind can injure wildlife, pollute waterways, introduce toxins into delicate ecosystems, and take decades (sometimes centuries) to break down. What blends into a photo as an “interesting subject” doesn’t blend into nature the same way.

I’ve always loved the outdoors. Traveling across the U.S. and parts of Europe has given me a deeper appreciation for how diverse and fragile our landscapes truly are—from the quiet trails of New Jersey’s Pine Barrens to the towering, rugged beauty of Montana’s Rocky Mountains. These places feel were home to me. They’re the reason I hike, explore, travel, and photograph. They are also the reason littering hits a personal nerve.

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When you’ve stood on a remote mountain ridge in Montana, walked through the trails of New Jersey, or just taken a drive in Portugal to explore, you realize how much we depend on these wild spaces—and how much they depend on us. Nature gives us everything: beauty, clarity, peace, adventure. The very least we can do is keep it clean.

If there’s anything these photos taught me, it’s that even in the most unexpected places, nature shows us a story. And sometimes, that story is a reminder that we need to do better.

So, the next time you’re outside—whether it’s a national park, a tucked-away trail, or your own neighborhood—carry out what you carry in. Pack out someone else’s trash if you see it. Small actions matter more than people realize.

Because when we protect nature, we protect the experiences, the creatures, and the breathtaking moments that make it worth photographing in the first place.