All photographs were created by Melissa Lynn

*No AI was used on any images

From the Ground Up

From the Ground up explores agriculture and sustainable land management through images created at urban farms and gardens in Colorado. These vibrant green spaces help combat climate change, promote regenerative practices, and ensure equitable access to fresh, healthy food. Drawing from eco-friendly practices that nurture the land, my creative techniques intertwine environmental and artistic processes. This series also highlights native pollinator plants that support vital species, including bees and butterflies.

High Creek Fen

High Creek Fen features an ecologically rich wetland in Colorado that has preserved ancient flora and fauna since the last Ice Age. Fens are peat-forming habitats where water rises to the surface year-round, supporting a rare ecosystem adapted to thrive in this unique environment.

My creative process mirrors the fen's slow transformation and directly collaborates between the ecosystem's life and the photographs. This bioart approach blends living organisms with artistic creation, further connecting art, science, and nature.

Code Red

My Code Red series responds to the global climate crisis and puts a spotlight on Earth's mass species extinction. The images reflect humanity's impact on nature and serve as a call to action to help save our planet's biodiversity.

The rate of species extinction is accelerating due to climate change, pollution, habitat loss, and poaching. Protecting and restoring biodiversity is extremely important for our survival. High biodiversity keeps our air and water clean, acts as a barrier between us and diseases, and keeps interconnected ecosystems resilient and balanced.

My art process illustrates our deteriorating and polluted environment through experimental techniques applied to my own photographs. The series also emphasizes conservation efforts and our interrelationship with nature.

Scorched

My Scorched series documents the devastating wildfire burn scars in Colorado. Forests are becoming drier and more susceptible to mega wildfires as temperatures rise. 2020 saw the three most destructive wildfires in the state's history, fueled by drought and exacerbated by climate change. The images also illuminate nature's resilience by documenting the burnt landscape's post-fire regeneration.

Human negligence and arson are the cause of most wildfires in the US. The processing of my images mimics the destruction of nature by humans, and I purposefully destroy film negatives to reflect this wreckage.

During wildfires, the nutrients from dead trees return to the soil. The forest floor is open to more sunlight, allowing seedlings to grow. Years after the fires, I revisited wildfire burn scars to document the regenerating forest and witnessed super blooms of wildflowers scattered throughout the scorched forests. I am reminded of nature's endurance and beauty.

Stay-at Home Order

The photographs in my Stay-at-Home Order series were taken at our suburban home in Colorado during the COVID-19 Stay-at-Home and Safer-at-Home orders. My daughter Sophie is an only child, so I encouraged imaginative play to fill her social void. Taking photos allowed us to work together on a creative endeavor and for her to learn about photography. The images also display the march of time through subtle changes in Sophie as she grows up during the pandemic.

The photographs reflect some of the angst felt during this historic time but offer brief escapes from reality through creativity and imagination. Trees are a common theme throughout the series and symbolize growth, endurance, and strength. They also show the passage of time through the changing seasons.

American Mosaic

My American Mosaic portrait series celebrates America's rich multicultural heritage and traditions. The photographs illustrate the beauty of a diverse society and explore identity and self-expression.

I have attended many multicultural celebrations and festivals in Colorado to find the individuals in this series all proudly wearing their own traditional dress. It has been an incredible photographic journey that has enabled me to meet many remarkable people whose ancestry spans the globe. All the photos in this series were taken on location at the celebrations and then digitally processed afterward for cohesiveness.

My goals for the project are to help preserve ancient traditions passed down through the generations and to encourage cross-cultural understanding, intercultural dialogue, and harmony.

NYC Days

My NYC Days series was photographed when I lived in Manhattan from 2000 to 2011 and captured a whimsical side of the Big Apple. There is a strong focus on art elements, and some images also challenge perception through fragmentation or reflections. Many legendary New York City photographers, including Saul Leiter, Lee Friedlander, and Lisette Model, inspired the work.

I photographed performers, street scenes, and events throughout the five boroughs with the city as my backdrop. The photographs reveal the creativity, energy, and, occasionally, the absurdity of my New York City encounters.