Students and visitors packed Willard Hall on Thursday night to see a photography presentation by photographer Robin Dru Germany entitled "Surface Tension."

The presentation, held in the Mark A. Chapman Gallery, was a chronicle of Germany's award-winning work from 1986 to present day while prints of her current work on surface tension hung on the walls of the gallery.

Currently an associate professor of photography at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, Germany earned her bachelor's degree in philosophy from Tulane University in New Orleans and a master's of fine art from the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas before launching her career.

After graduating, Germany began teaching at various schools in Texas while simultaneously exploring her chosen craft.

Her work spans two and a half decades and encompasses everything from machinery to plants.

"In my work, I'm not so much making a statement but more asking a question," Germany said.

Her early work photographing machinery began when she took a job as a professional photographer at a gift-wrapping plant. She would take the photos and, through a process of developing and re-photographing the image with collage elements included, would create an entirely unique image that represented the ‘human connection' to the machines.

After progressing from machinery, Germany created a series of portraits that were inspired by people she knew and her interpretation of them. After this, she began taking photos of nature, even though she herself is not fond of them.

"I don't really like nature photography because it has never captured the experience of what it is like to be in that space," she said. "At least not for me."

Germany's nature photographs take a different approach to the genre, with a great deal of her photos taken at night and with angular flash positions.

I think it's interesting how she's not really into nature, per se," said Caitlin Canaday, junior in art. "But in her work she photographs nature and brings out a different side of it."

From night nature photos she moved to day nature photos, though the images retained the same mood, and then to digital color modification on certain nature images.

Germany would actually digitally manipulate her photos to mimic certain aspects of the human body, specifically the vascular system. The color-corrected photos evolved into a broader subject range of molds and various plants to achieve the desired affect.

Germany's current work, labeled "On The Brink," is a series of photographs that, according to Germany "explores the line between the human world and the underwater world." Using a digital camera housed in an underwater apparatus, the pictures capture the moment between air and water, revealing what is on top of the surface and beneath it.

This series also includes pieces that were taken with pinhole cameras and most involve some aspect of water or marine life.

These are the images that currently hang in the Chapman Gallery and surrounded the audience of nearly 100 people as Germany spoke.

Germany came to present her work at the request of her former mentee, Shreepad Joglekar, who is in his first year of assistant professorship at K-State.

Joglekar earned his bachelors in Mumbai, India and then moved to Texas in order to study for his master's degree under Germany after being in email contact with her for two years previous to the move.

"She is one of the artists I have been mainly influenced by," Joglekar said. "I wanted to show where my art came from, in a way."

All of Germany's work encompasses the concept and inquiry of being human. From her machinery collages to the "ambiguous relationship between us and the underwater world," Germany presents photographic series designed to evoke the inquisitive side of human nature.

"For me, I don't care if you know how I took the picture or are impressed by my technical prowess," she said. "I just want to know the questions my work suggests to you."

Germany's work will be on display in the Chapman Gallery on the first floor of Willard Hall until Jan. 27.