Photography

cshimokita
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Are landscape photographers really closet tree huggers?

Recently I have wondered about the validity of "landscape photography" as a relevant avenue of expression.  While almost everyone likes a mountain vista or ocean sunset, the genre has lost a bit of twinkle with many viewers and has become a little cliché-ish.  From the time of the US Civil War and the increased mobility of camera equipment, there developed in North American a tradition of landscape photography being linked to the environment and later to environmental issues.

At the moment I am rereading "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" (Robert Pirsig).  I read the book for the first time when it came out in 1974, now in my third reading.  Pirsig speaks to the classic and romantic view of life, which I found to have relevance with my line of thought...

大雪山国立公園 (Daisetsuzan National Park)

Given the intertwining of Henri Cartier-Bresson with his 'decisive moment' one can sense that when he states that "Photography is an immediate reaction, drawing is a meditation", he could also be talking about the dichotomy of street vs. landscape.  When Edward Weston photographed "Pepper No. 30", still life photography reached it's peak.  Robert Mapplethorpe (1946 – 1989) adds to the call to action: "I went into photography because it seemed like the perfect vehicle for commenting on the madness of today's existence"... one wonders how Mapplethorpe would do in 2018.

In short, the sound bite, the short smart phone video, the dependency on movement (or sense of movement) defines the contemporary urban lifestyle and to a greater extent the current photographic view of life. HD and extreme processing brings a sense of 'excitement' and movement to landscape... it's a costume that in the wrong hands is best left for Halloween.

黒岳 (Kurodake / Mount Kuro - 1,984 meters)

Sebastião Salgado put it in perspective, "... I thought the only way to give us an incentive, to bring hope, is to show the pictures of the pristine planet - to see the innocence".  An appeal to the dual views of life... to inform & enlighten while containing a strong visceral element, without which the viewer is left twisting in the wind - grasping at the photographer's opportunism and technique.  The use of 'innocence' as a theme is a slippery slope... as well a number of photographers and editors have spoken out regarding nature and wildlife photographers need to give something back and not just take from the environment.  The business of tree hugging is complicated.

I believe that 'landscape' can be a valid means of expression, but the photographer must be aware of image symbolism, agendas, and technique.  Other genres such as portraiture or street portraiture bring different challenges and different rewards...  for the photographer the need to be creative must be seen as paramount, the process and perception of the viewer is secondary.

'Zen and the Art of Photography'... a guide to documenting & recording events / locations as an art form.  I work to include both technical and artistic aspects... one enhances the other, they test and try to outwit me.

Casey

Note: Photos of Daisetsuzan National Park and Kurodake from Hokkaido, Japan (February 2016)

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