Macro photography from the Garfield Neighborhood Community Garden by Andrew Raub
From the Ground Up explores the various insects and arachnids living in the Garfield Neighborhood Community Garden. This project reflects on community through the relationships between the artist, the gardeners, their plants and the insects they attract. It is the artist’s hope to inspire curiosity, respect, and action toward the cultivation of nature and community.
I am a mostly self-taught amateur photographer, though there are many people from around the world who have provided free information through the power of the Internet. I have been doing insect and macro photography since mid-2023, primarily exploring my neighborhood community garden. I am also a proponent of open-source software and use open-source tools as much as possible in my photography workflow. To read about my RAW photo development using darktable, please see this blog post I wrote for the release of darktable 5.4: darktable 5.4 - A Simple Beginner Workflow and Interactive Walkthrough
Beyond photography, I am a community organizer and advocate in my neighborhood, working on projects from tree plantings and trash pickups to free markets and resource exchanges.
Acknowledgements
My wife, Gabriella, for her support and encouragement.
Andrew Pielage, for guidance and the opportunity to bring show this project at his gallery.
Raleigh and the gardeners at the Garfield Community Garden for providing a playground for me to explore.
Roberto, for being a strong neighborhood leader and showing us what we’re capable of.