A Journey from Suburbs to City Streets (Image Credits: Flickr)
New York City – Erin Frank stepped onto Columbia University’s Morningside campus for the first time last August, her secondhand Nikon OneTouch camera already in hand. The lush, historic grounds immediately drew her in, prompting her to capture the scene on 35mm film.[1][2] As a master’s student in the Climate and Society program at the Columbia Climate School, she soon discovered unexpected parallels between her analog photography and her studies on environmental challenges.
A Journey from Suburbs to City Streets
Erin Frank grew up in the northern suburbs of Chicago before heading to the University of California, San Diego for her undergraduate studies. There, she shifted into a major on climate change and human solutions within the anthropology department during her sophomore year. The program emphasized the human dimensions of environmental issues, setting the stage for her graduate pursuits.[1]
Columbia’s Climate and Society curriculum appealed to her immediately. She committed to the program without visiting the campus, drawn by a course catalog that aligned perfectly with her interests. Classes such as Climate Change Adaptation, Climate Change Justice, and Black Ecologies now shape her understanding of how climate weaves into social systems, postcolonial legacies, and indigenous knowledge.
Embracing the Analog Over Digital
Frank favors film photography for its deliberate pace. She acquired her Nikon OneTouch Film Zoom 90, a model from the 1990s, for just $100. Loaded with ISO 400 film – sometimes expired rolls sourced from places like the Chelsea Flea Market – it demands patience and intention with each shot.[1]
“There’s something about film where each picture can really stand on its own,” Frank explained. “You can’t just rapid-fire a thousand shots. It’s a practice in patience, and it’s also a practice in really looking.”[1] She develops her rolls weekly at 5R Photo Lab, a women-owned business near New York University, turning the process into a ritual of reflection.
Where Camera Meets Climate Insights
Frank’s photography intersects with her academic work in profound ways. She volunteers at the Olo Be Taloha Lab under archaeologist Kristina Douglass, contributing to projects on knowledge co-production and environmental systems often overlooked by Western science. Her instinct to “look closely and document” carries over from the lab to her lens.[2][1]
The environmental footprint of her hobby reinforces these connections. By using secondhand gear and completing old film rolls, she participates in circular economies – much like the sustainable practices she studies. In a city without the ocean views of San Diego, photography helps her bond with urban spaces. “Photography gave me a way to feel artistically aligned with the space I was in, to connect with the city in a way I was scared I wouldn’t be able to,” she said.[1]
Her ongoing series documents Morningside Heights, including shots from Hamilton Hall and Low Library on 35mm film. She wanders to Washington Square Park, where pigeons and everyday joy yield her favorite images, or the West Harlem Piers at sunset. Neighborhood walks along 125th Street capture landmarks like the General Grant National Memorial. These mundane moments reveal the city’s layered beauty and vulnerabilities.[3][1]
Frank recently contributed campus photos to Columbia’s Beautiful Planet 2026, an Earth Day showcase of planetary beauty from the community. Her work highlights how personal observation can spotlight broader environmental narratives.
Projects That Probe Deeper
Beyond New York, Frank applies her skills to global issues. She is building a website featuring photographs from a trip to the Dominican Republic. The project examines Caribbean tourism’s dual edges: economic promise alongside environmental costs like habitat loss and displacement.[1]
Visitors can explore her New York favorites at Cosmopolitan Beauty, a digital gallery of dreamy, atmospheric shots. These efforts underscore her belief that climate change tells a story of humanities as much as science.
Future Frames
As Frank nears graduation in August 2026, she weighs options: a PhD to pursue research questions, outreach in communities, or roles blending environmental storytelling with photography and art. Her path illustrates how simple tools like a film camera can foster mindfulness amid climate urgency.
In an era of instant digital images, Frank’s analog practice reminds us of the value in slowing down to truly see – and perhaps better address – the world around us.