Ben Erlandson is a self-described “recovering academic,” or former college professor, turned multimedia storyteller and environmental educator. Erlandson’s creative work focuses on combining his skill sets in media production, animation, and photography under the banner of environmental education.
Erlandson’s upcoming residency at Pine Meadow Ranch Center for Arts & Agriculture (PMRCAA) in Sisters, Oregon, aligns with his continuous practices in stewardship and ecological literacy. “I am a steward, and everything that I do involves stewardship,” Erlandson says.
For Erlandson, understanding a place isn’t just about space, but about our time in that space, which is why key elements of his work will involve time-lapse photography, a medium he believes helps people grasp both ecological literacy and a deeper sense of place. In Erlandson’s view, our perception is often limited to brief moments rather than the broader ecological processes at play.
“I think a lot of people don’t realize, both from a perspective of ecological literacy in general and an awareness of the complexities of the world and the biosphere,” says Erlandson. “Time-lapse photography can shift our perspective, and therefore our understanding of time. You can literally change the interval of how you’re recording something and see the difference it makes when you play it back. It’s a really easy way to experiment with, and experience time differently.” By speeding up and slowing down the intervals between photos taken in a time-lapse, Erlandson believes we can better understand our own fleeting moments on earth, and how they interact with the broader environment around us.
Sisters, Oregon’s recent certification as a Dark Sky Community, caught Erlandson’s attention. He sees dark sky conservation as a critical part of ecological stewardship. “It’s not just about light pollution for people — it’s also about nocturnal species that need darkness to have a normal life, and plants that require specific light and dark cycles for photosynthesis,” says Erlandson.
For those interested in exploring time-lapse photography and the concept of sense of place, Erlandson’s workshop, Time Lapse Video to Capture a Sense of Place on April 19, 2025, from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., will be an opportunity to learn hands-on techniques. In addition to his workshop, Erlandson is also hosting an Open Studio alongside Josh Anderson and Karen Edmonds on May 8, 2025, from 4 – 6 p.m.
