Kansas Landscapes: A Photo Tour of Geological History

Name: Kansas Landscapes: A Photo Tour of Geological History
Start: 2026-03-24T19:00:00-05:00
Location: Newton Public Library

Schedule

Tue, 24 Mar, 2026 at 07:00 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

Newton Public Library | Newton, KS

Newton Public Library and the Fourth Tuesday Photography Club are pleased to welcome photographer Scott Bean!
A photographic tour of our region's geological history, "Kansas Landscapes" was released by the University of Kansas Press last September. Scott Bean is the book's principal photographer, with text by Keith B. Miller, and additional photos contributed by Mark Clarke and Mickey Shannon.
This is a hybrid program: Attend in person at the library, 223 E. 7th, Newton, KS, or click here to sign up for the Zoom Webinar simulcast: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_7Ticqcm6TquZ5-rcsySYLg. Scott will be with us in person.
About the Book:
If we view the natural world in the context of time, everything we see becomes a story. Nothing can be truly understood without reference to time and change.
Landscapes are molded by the motions of continents, the uplift and erosion of mountains, the rise and fall of sea levels, and changing global climates. The varied landscapes of Kansas are reflections of their underlying geology. Regions of similar topography are called physiographic provinces and are underlain by rocks of similar age and composition. In "Kansas Landscapes," Keith Miller guides readers on a tour of these provinces, from the oldest rocks to those deposited in the relatively recent past. Each region of Kansas is placed into the long chronology of Earth history including changing sea levels and global climates, the uplift and erosion of mountains, and the evolution of life over hundreds of millions of years.
Looking more deeply and closely at Kansas landscapes results in the growing recognition of the extraordinary diversity of nature. Taking the time to recognize the diversity of living things within a landscape transforms how we see that place. The prairie changes from just a sea of grass to a diverse ecosystem of grasses, flowering plants, insects, birds, mammals, and reptiles that interact in complex ways and change dynamically with the seasons. Similarly, recognizing the diversity and environmental and ecological significance of rocks brings to light a previously unseen record of the past.
"Kansas Landscapes" features stunning color photographs showing the surprising diversity of landscapes and environments in Kansas.
About Scott Bean:
"A common question I often see asked of photographers is 'what do you want to achieve with your work?' Honestly, I struggle with that question. I enjoy being outside and that is part of why photography interests me (I do not know why I need that excuse to go out and enjoy time in nature, but it does seem to motivate me). I want my photography to connect me to the landscape around me and I want to really be there and not have my mind running in a thousand other directions thinking of other stuff. Photography can help me be more present (and sometimes have the opposite effect). I like the challenges of photography, both on the technical side and the creative side – and the most important challenge of blending these two aspects together. I often find a scene where something has grabbed my attention, try to really isolate what that something was and then create something that represents that experience of being there or to create an idea or vision that I have of a scene. Ideally, I would like to strive to create something that can really provide the viewer at least some sense of what I was feeling (not just seeing), something that can stir some emotion in the viewer, conjure a good memory or just create a feeling of peacefulness. I think the natural world is a beautiful place and of course I want viewers of my photographs to get a sense of awe and recognize the beauty in the areas I photograph." Read more on Scott's website: https://scottbeanphoto.com/about/