(NCF Alum) Photographer Lynne Buchanan on Cherishing Florida’s Waters

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May 8, 2019 - by Sarasota Magazine

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In the Media

Buchanan comes to Sarasota May 12 to discuss her book, Florida’s Changing Waters: A Beautiful World in Peril.

Florida’s landscape is unforgettable and irreplaceable, and one can traverse through swampland near low-lying rivers and walk barefoot along sandy shores surrounding the entire state. Photographer Lynne Buchanan has spent years documenting the aesthetics of this environment. And with an upcoming book signing on May 12 for her recently published collection of photographs, Florida’s Changing Waters: A Beautiful World in Peril, fans have the opportunity to view her work up close and personal.
“I want people to reconnect with nature and think of it as part of us,” she says. “I wanted to show people what was beautiful about our landscapes and what was worth protecting.”

Buchanan originally moved to Sarasota when she was five years old. Her father was one of the founding faculty members of New College of Florida. In 1977, Buchanan attended New College where she studied art history. She also took advantage of the interdisciplinary nature at New College to learn about Florida’s water ecosystem. “I had always cared about water quality and the aesthetics of water,” she says.

After New College, she stepped away from art and the environment and began a career in commercial banking. Then she turned 50 and decided it was time for a change. She attended a yoga retreat and reconnected to her passion for photography and nature. In the beginning, she enrolled in photography workshops. Then she practiced. “It was all I did every day,” she says. “It takes 10,000 hours of work to be really good at anything.”
Buchanan, who now lives in Asheville, North Carolina, hopes that viewers will find her photos not only visually stimulating, but understand the urgency behind them. “A lot has changed. We need to protect Florida’s water,” she says. “There are still beautiful places that are left.”
Lynne Buchanan will be present at a meet the author and book signing at 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 12 at 2340 Old Bradenton Road, Sarasota. The event is sponsored by the Suncoast Waterkeeper.