Fernbank Forest

This project is the result of a commission from Fernbank Museum to document Fernbank, a 65 acre old-growth forest in Atlanta proper, during a period of restoration. Essick photographed the forest for two years with the goal to produce a personal vision of this natural ecosystem that can coexist with a large metropolitan city. The book contains an insightful essay by Janisse Ray, an American author whose work grapples with the beauty, intricacy, and heartbreak of the biosphere. She tells the story of how Emily Harrison worked to preserve the forest beginning in the 1930s.

Peter Essick is a photographer, author, speaker, instructor, and drone pilot who specializes in nature and environmental themes, who was named one of the 40 most influential nature photographers in the world by Outdoor Photography Magazine UK. His goal is to make photographs that move beyond mere documentation to reveal in careful compositions the human impact of development as well as the enduring power of the land. Janisse Ray is an American writer, naturalist, and environmental activist.