We live in one of the most beautiful places on the planet. OK I'm biased but the Highlands of Scotland is amazing, so landscape photography should be easy. I have never found it so. This is my most successful attempt to date (limited edition now sold out). Landscape or seascape? In my youth I collected the entire Time Life Library of Photography. There is no volume on landscape photography. In a more up to date search I looked at #landscapephotoraphy on Instagram. Despite the 59 million or so images I found the results disappointing, perhaps even boring (confess I only scanned the first 20 or so pages). The approach is probably contemporary to the time of each "publication" and plays lightly with the more traditional subjects such as landscapes. The Highlands has some great exponents of the art and, locally, Angus Bruce and Chris Puddephatt consistently impress. I think that what they both illustrate is a connection to the place and a persistence to visit time and time again to get the conditions perfect for each photograph. In addition to the "connection" each of their images also exhibit great depth and a good use of light. I may have an appreciation of the need for good light and composition but I doubt I have the connection. Mine is a more fleeting relationship. I once was accused of copying a landscape by a professional photographer. The subject was a view of the Cuillin from Elgol. Indeed I did take a similar picture from the same viewpoint but many years before. If I were to try to copy any landscape I would head for Yosemite and copy Ansel Adams. I would fail of course but maybe a large format camera and one sheet of black and white film would concentrate my effort.
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Neil GerrardThrough these blogs I hope to inspire you into creating better images. I'll illustrate with my own photography and link with other photographers and artists. Archives
August 2022
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