Inspiration

54 Photos (and a GIF) That Celebrate Our Glorious Earth

by The Luupe

For Earth Day, The Luupe curates a collection of images that honor the earth, its beauty and the importance of conservation.

From sweeping sun-lit landscapes to composting still lifes, these images will remind you why we celebrate Earth Day.

A deer peeking out of a field of grass backlit by golden sunshine and a forest of evergreen trees. This was taken on my first solo road trip, from San Francisco to Arcata, California. I camped alone along the coast and reveled in the ability to let curiosity be my guide and take as much time as I wanted exploring the area and taking pictures. With the wildfires in California in recent years I appreciate these scenes more than ever and wonder how much longer they will be here for us. © Angela DeCenzo

A Forest Fire blackens the sky in Sedona, Arizona © Mikaela Gauer

" I aim for a sort of commodified version of what I'm photographing; something perfected, boxed up, and sellable. Using this tactic for landscapes is even more jarring, as nature is the one thing that is supposed to remain natural. These photos focus on the visual ideals of advertising, consumerism, and capitalism, and allows my audience to notice and study the lies that the camera will inescapably create." © Becca Schwartz

"I believe that the world we live in is an interconnected, complex web. In this series, "Of Plenty", I focused on the tiny parts of matter, the details that are so fragile in my perception. As described in the butterfly effect of chaos theory, I believe that small interventions and changes can have enormous consequences in a later state – and we can only change for the better if we respect and protect the beauty of the small parts of the big whole." - Carola Plöchinger

"Everyday is Earth Day is the beauty behind Sierra Club and I love that The Luupe connected me with them to photograph the Climate Change Protest in NYC back in 2019. The pandemic has made these past two years quite the rollercoaster, but it's also made people appreciate the great outdoors and realize the urgency to protect it. " - Natalie Chitwood

Tulips In Netherlands © Judy Doherty

Mezcalera Doña Bertha standing proud in her agave fields. February 2022 © Anna Bruce

An experimental plot in a longleaf pine forest at the Jones Center at Ichauway in southwest Georgia. Researchers study the resilience of native longleaf pines under extreme drought in response to natural disturbances, including climate change. © Virginie Kippelen

"I have been interested in globes lately, maybe for the shape, the nostalgia for less crazy times, or an unconscious thought about our climate crisis. This globe was a recent birthday gift; I was intent on making an image of it. As the sun came up in early March I walked by it on my counter and was taken by my shadow looming over it, this yellow and blue world. It was just five days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. So many references, so much to consider." - JoAnn Chaus

"This image is the exquisite and momentary fluke print of a humpback whale who had just taken a dive. Humpback whales are among the most endangered whales in the world - once threatened almost to extinction by the whaling industry, they continuing to be vulnerable to vessel strikes and entanglement." © Liz Celeste

Wave Interference, 2021. © Laura Plageman. "This is a large-scale, digitally collaged photograph created from several views of the same location over time. My process for creating this work involves breaking apart my images and reassembling them through a combination of choice, chance, and recursion. Using a custom-built, generative algorithm, I force a curated set of my images together and highlight their edges and overlaps. Through these broken and cobbled together parts, I reflect on the idea of fragmentation and perception of time and place, specifically as experienced and understood through photography."

"Photography allows me to look at the little and unimportant objects around me and make them a part of my history just by giving them attention. By looking at them I capture them to remember, not letting them go away, yet not trying to save them. Watching their last seconds before I leave and the moment becomes irrelevant, capturing their last breath. With my camera I grant them with eternity and in that I grant myself a memory." © Dana Stirling

In a holistic approach to an ecosystem health report on the Upper St. Lawrence River, Dr. Leigh McGaughey and Stephany Hildebrand set out to share the stories of 10 incredible community members for the Great River Rapport. Here we see Leigh shining light on Kate Schwartz as she wades in a creek. Kate caught 7 species of fish and one freshwater mussel which goes to show the resilience of wildlife even within disturbed creeks in the heart of farmland. © Stephany Hildebrand

"I’ve been living in Rockaway Beach, NY for almost 5 years now and have become obsessed with surfing and photographing the ocean. The water is always in motion and with this work I’m mainly interested in catching a moment that feels like a memory." © Jena Cumbo

"This image was captured during the pandemic- I made local trips to areas where I could enjoy nature. © Bettina Stammen

Post Hurricane Sandy: On a foggy day at Far Rockaway Beach with planted dunes designed to better withstand future hurricanes. Memorial Day weekend, Queens, NY, May 29, 2016. © Diane Allford

"This image is from a new series, A Tree Grows in Queens, that reflects on the many ways in which trees manifest into other things, from memorials and myths to meeting points, memes, and harbingers of luck. Inspired by trees found in urban forests and on city sidewalks the images ask the viewer to look more closely at their surroundings and to find the beauty of nature against the background of the city. "© Magali Duzant

"Our first trip post covid vaccination was to visit my fiancés parents in South Carolina. Like many families, we hadn't seen each other since 2019. We visited Huntington Island State Park and stumbled upon what people call the tree graveyard. Standing there, looking at this tree, feeling the wind blowing in my hair, smelling the salty water, it felt like I was standing at the edge of the world. I like to call this image "East of Eden." © Nicole Fara Silver

"This photo is from my series 'Etchings', shown originally in NYC. The photographs aim give viewers a space to consider how they change the world around them, and how that world shapes them as well. Focusing on the element of water the images dive into the concept of being shaped by the natural world, as water is a force that etches away at that which works to contain it." © Desdemona Dallas

"This photo is from my collection, Poetree, which pairs portraits of old growth trees with the works of poets who could have seen these trees in their lifetime. I made these images on solo walks in the old growth forests of California and Washington beginning in March 2020. As lockdown loomed, I felt drawn to the woods and found solace walking and sitting among the stillness of the trees." - Caroline Gutman

"In all my work, I aim for a sort of commodified version of what I'm photographing; something perfected, boxed up, and sellable. Using this tactic for landscapes is even more jarring, as nature is the one thing that is supposed to remain natural. This photo focuses on the visual ideals of advertising, consumerism, and capitalism, and allows my audience to notice and study the lies that the camera will inescapably create." - Becca Schwartz

"A unique geological structure nestled in the midst of the bustling megalopolis that I Mumbai, Gilbert Hill is a monolithic basalt rock column that was formed 66 million years ago during the Mesozoic Era. One of three structures of its kind in the world, it is surrounded in close proximity by dilapidated buildings and an urban slum." © Alisha Vasudev

"This was a place where I found immense peace – where hard rock met the softness of water.." © Jessica Chen

Donner Pass, 2020. © Laura Plageman. "Through disruptions to the print and paper, and several iterations of re-photography, I reflect on this dynamic, layered site. I'm drawn to its history, geology, and present-day mix of nature and urban exploration. My intent is to draw attention to the materiality of photography while encouraging viewers to contemplate the role photography plays in our experience of the natural world.

"Oftentimes there are two hundred thoughts and no release. And then comes one brief moment- the ground is clear, the kittens asleep and anything and everything is bearable. Beautiful even." © Disha Patil

"Forest Destruction - For here or to go? Created for Canopy Planet for their #Pack4Good campaign, an important initiative highlighting how paper packaging in the food, beauty and fashion industries destroy forests and animal habitats. " - Sarah Wright

" I made these compost images in the early days of the pandemic, when things were very uncertain. I was doom-scrolling on Instagram and I realized it was Compost Awareness Day, so I decided to get up and make something. I figured if I could get even a few people to think about composting, especially when they had more time than ever to figure it out, I could feel good about that." - Nicole Morrison

"Over the last few years I went through a lot of sudden changes, transitions, experiences, loss, grief, and as a means of coping, I unconsciously turned to nature, a long time safe haven. It was through this that I began to unpack everything, as I did my best to maintain some type of familiarity in my ever changing environment. That's when I began to understand that every season does not hold the same you." © Chelsea Garcia

"I’m lucky to tend a beautiful plot of land in Northern California, where I’m intimately acquainted with the natural world on a daily basis. Even still, the rhythms and routines of daily life make it easy to take my surroundings for granted. Like a meditation of sorts, the act of photographing brings me out of my head and back into the world, forcing me to slow down and appreciate the intricacies of this magical place." © Anna Schneider

"Tasting honey right from the comb in Boulder, Colorado." - Lauren DeFilippo

PINK SALMON SPAWNING IN A REDD IN THE PUGET SOUND WATERSHED, FROM AN ONGOING SERIES ABOUT SALMON POPULATIONS AROUND WESTERN WASHINGTON. © Sara Montour Lewis

"Based on the unique ecology of the forest understory of the Pacific Northwest, 'The Workers' is new work by Melinda Hurst Frye referencing the found fungal characters, laborers, and their partnerships within the forest floor. " © Melinda Hurst Frye

"Woodland provides an important defense against climate change as well as providing resilience in affected ecosystems. The potential of woodlands to soak up CO2 from the atmosphere while providing a host of other benefits for society and biodiversity is becoming increasingly recognized. Forest destruction and habitat loss threatens our future, investing in sustainable forest restoration is integral to biodiversity. ‘The Understory’ hopes to draw attention to these humble wild plants, their dependency on a healthy diverse woodland and in turn, biodiversity. " © Maura Jamieson

"This photo photo is of my daughter and her intense curiosity with nature. My children are drawn towards nature and dirt and the earth, the inclination to be grounded and in tune with the earth is so natural yet most of us end up walking away from it as we get older." © Katie N Ward

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The Luupe

The Luupe is a one-stop production company that is raising the bar for professional brand imagery on a global scale. With a highly curated and diverse network of professional women and non-binary photo and video creators across 80+ countries around the world, we are reinventing how brands produce original, local, and authentic visual stories that connect with a global audience. Our mission is to champion and amplify diverse perspectives from around the world — in front of and behind the lens.