Photo Essay - Veterans Oasis Park
The goal of this project was to craft a narrative using only six photos that told a story. I chose to communicate the essence of a place, Veterans Oasis Park, through these photos and spent a couple weeks taking pictures around the park, receiving feedback from classmates, and then using that feedback to take more pictures. This process was done a couple times until I arrived at my final six pictures that I thought did a good job of communicating my message. I was aiming at trying to show people how the park can be a peaceful place to get away from the busy city and that this little oasis is available to anyone and has a lot to offer. I used Lightroom Classic to keep track of all of my photos and to edit them slightly afterwards. Each photo was thought out and framed in a way that took advantage of things such as the rule of thirds, leading lines, and balance. When all of these photos were put together, I thought that they did a good job of really capturing the peacefulness and beautiful desert landscape of the park.
Veterans Oasis Park offers people easy access to the beautiful desert landscape that can be found throughout Arizona along with other amenities that are free to use and enjoy. It's located in the city of Gilbert, AZ but its large size makes it so that you feel immersed in the wilderness instead of city.
One of the features that Veterans Oasis offers is a lake that has many surrounding benches and seating areas that are great for sharing with others. The way the benches are nestled between plants and up close to the water really makes it feel as if you are part of the environment.
The lake is also full of a wide variety of fish and is a great spot to get away from the city and spend some time fishing by yourself or with some friends. The many clearings around the lake allow for some great spots to settle down and try to catch some fish.
The rest of the park that surrounds the lake is made up of seemingly endless trails and paths that take you past other lakes, even more scenery, and tons of animals. The trails are great for a morning bike ride or an evening stroll and give people a way to explore some of the desert landscape up close.
Throughout these trails, you can find benches that are located off to the side that are perfect for a relaxing break or to make some reflections while taking in the lush desert and peaceful surroundings.
At the highest point of Veterans Oasis Park, you can find even more seating along with some amazing views of the surrounding mountains and the vast size of the park. Veterans Oasis has something to offer for everyone and will be waiting for you to explore and enjoy.
