Luminous Landscape Forum
The Art of Photography => Discussing Photographic Styles => Topic started by: texshooter on June 10, 2012, 12:47:02 am
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Would someone recommend a few names of photographers who do amazing abstract landscapes. I'd like to look at their work for inspiration.
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Not sure what you mean by abstract. Michael Orton immediately came to my mind.
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Not sure exactly what you're looking for, either, but you can check out the work of Cole Thompson
http://www.colethompsonphotography.com/ (http://www.colethompsonphotography.com/)
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A member here that goes by the name of John R does exceptional work.
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Not sure exactly what you're looking for, either, but you can check out the work of Cole Thompson
http://www.colethompsonphotography.com/ (http://www.colethompsonphotography.com/)
Right, Chuck, and the OP might want to check your own "New non-D800 images" over on User Critiques (http://www.luminous-landscape.com/forum/index.php?topic=67357.0). Those five shots sure remind me of some of Cole's work.
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Here are a couple more:
Frank Grisdale > http://www.photographersgallery.com/by_artist.asp?id=199 (http://www.photographersgallery.com/by_artist.asp?id=199)
Michael Levin > http://www.photographersgallery.com/by_artist.asp?id=175 (http://www.photographersgallery.com/by_artist.asp?id=175)
Susan Burnstine > http://www.photographersgallery.com/by_artist.asp?id=252 (http://www.photographersgallery.com/by_artist.asp?id=252)
Michael Massaia > http://www.photographersgallery.com/by_artist.asp?id=248 (http://www.photographersgallery.com/by_artist.asp?id=248)
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How about William Neill (http://www.williamneill.com/portfolios/impressions-of-light/index.html) and Leeming + Paterson (http://www.leemingpaterson.com/section522368_177986.html)?
Two fine proponents of ICM (intentional camera movements) - there are many others but these are my favourites so far.
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Edward Burtynsky comes to mind.
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Check out Mario Giacamelli.
Brian
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Brett Weston is the undisputed king of abstract. Old school as in film, but amazing vision.
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Brett Weston without a doubt.
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Thanks for introducing me to Frank Grisdale's work, Tex.
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Check out Richard Garrod. Monterey photographer. He new and taught with most of the "masters" like Ansel, Brett Weston, Wynn Bullock and others. He is still alive in his 80's and still extremely active in photography.
http://richardgarrodphoto.com/ (http://richardgarrodphoto.com/)
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Marc Adamus slumps towards a kind of Technicolor Abstraction (http://www.marcadamus.com/gallery.php). The kind of stuff I deplored in my stuck-up youth, but now have to grudgingly admire in my stuck-up old age.
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chip phillips pushes the color too.
http://www.chipphillipsphotography.com/galleries (http://www.chipphillipsphotography.com/galleries)
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Marc Adamus slumps towards a kind of Technicolor Abstraction (http://www.marcadamus.com/gallery.php). The kind of stuff I deplored in my stuck-up youth, but now have to grudgingly admire in my stuck-up old age.
That, Bill, is because he does it very well. A brief study of 80s stock-shot catalogues would show how popular this style was.
Rob C
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Marc Adamus slumps towards a kind of Technicolor Abstraction (http://www.marcadamus.com/gallery.php). The kind of stuff I deplored in my stuck-up youth, but now have to grudgingly admire in my stuck-up old age.
Adamus freely admits he leans heavily on Photoshop, but his compositions trump any over-doing in post.
That, and he's got sort of this Eyvind Earle vibe to his stuff that I really like.
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Here is one that I would like to introduce people to: http://www.stephenpatterson.com/index.html (http://www.stephenpatterson.com/index.html)
While not strictly landscape, it is an example of what good abstract images are all about. And bear in mind, most of the images were taken with slide film, where what you see is what you get.
JMR
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Here is one that I would like to introduce people to: http://www.stephenpatterson.com/index.html (http://www.stephenpatterson.com/index.html)
While not strictly landscape, it is an example of what good abstract images are all about. And bear in mind, most of the images were taken with slide film, where what you see is what you get.JMR
Now that's a bit of a far-fetched one! It's no more set in stone with film than it is with digital: scanning and computers have bent the rules. Even before digital came humping its way down the lane we could manipulate film in all sorts of ways - not as easily, I grant you - but the literal representation was left far behind when one chose so to leave it. Hell, your photographer should know, having been around Hass for a couple of years!
Regarding the site: I think he has a great eye for shape but, in my view, he destroys much of what he has by doing fanciful treatments that, in the end, I feel take away from the basic honesty and worth of what he has going for him underneath the visual schmaltz. I am no lover of candy-coloured sandmen.
Rob C
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OK Rob, your point is taken, photographs are not reality and can and are often manipulated. However, I don't think there is any comparison between today's manipulations with PS and digital files and the manipulations done with film. Mr Patterson and others went all over the continent doing shows with slides right out of the camera long before digital. Except for Orton's that were done by sandwiching two slides, and other sandwiching techniques, the images were done in-camera using multiple exposure and -camera or subject movement- techniques. In the days before digital he discovered that the camera can still be used to create incredible imagery. I understand, today even he does Orton work digitally. I don't think he was trying to be pure. And my whole point is to emphasize how good the work is considering it was done with slides. I think the compositions, regardless of some manipulations, and the large body of work, is the best I have seen on the net in terms of abstract-like work.
JMR
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Huntington Witherill.
floral abstracts
http://www.huntingtonwitherill.com/gallery/index/gallery/photosynthesis (http://www.huntingtonwitherill.com/gallery/index/gallery/photosynthesis)
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Can't believe I didn't mention Ted Orland! Former Ansel Adams assistant gone horribly wrong, and author of "Art and Fear." We shared a print washer and dryer for many years.
http://www.tedorland.com/panoramas/panorama.html
http://www.tedorland.com/
(http://www.tedorland.com/panoramas/images/ocean_summer.jpg)
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Great thread. Thanks for all these suggestions. I look forward to going through them more carefully as the days grow shorter.
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Again, not quite sure what you're looking for, but you might like to check out the work of the UK based Large Format photographer David Ward:
http://www.into-the-light.com/ (http://www.into-the-light.com/)
Regards,
Andrew
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Interesting question, and the answer will strongly depend on what you call an "abstract landscape". Do you mean abandoning the classic foreground-middleground-background sort of composition, with a visible horizon and some sky, in favor of more graphical compositions having a stronger focus on structures and details?
My impression is that recently (means: during the past decades) there is a clear trend in serious landscape photography exactly in this direction, so many if not all of those I would rate today´s top notch landscape photographers are doing exactly what I would call "abstract landscapes". Although one would have to admit that this style goes back at least to Ansel Adams, who (besides his classically composed shots) created quite a number of such abstract images. In fact, this does not come as a surprise because, by its very nature, black-and-white photography perfectly lends itself for an abstract way of seeing (actually, when you buy a roll of b/w film, you already have paid for abstract results).
Examples? You might like:
- Michael Kenna (http://www.michaelkenna.net/) (b/w)
- Eliot Porter (http://www.cartermuseum.org/collections/porter/) (whom you might call the granddaddy of color landscape photography)
- Christopher Burkett (http://www.christopherburkett.com/) (color)
- Charles Cramer (http://www.charlescramer.com/) (color)
And in case you´re prepared and don´t mind some shameless self-promotion here, you might also want to have a look at
- Frank Sirona (http://www.franksirona.com/galleries_04_02_e.html) (color)
which is me, so of course I can´t claim that the latter is doing *amazing* landscapes, which is what you were asking for. But what I can claim is that I´m doing landscapes, and that the idea of abstraction plays an important role for me.
Finally, in addition to the highly valued David Ward who was already mentioned by another poster, his british friend and colleague Joe Cornish does a lot of - now again amazing - abstract landscapes. Unfortunately, the current version of Joe´s website does not do justice to the quality of his work. But there is a book I can recommend without restrictions: Joe´s "First Light (http://www.amazon.com/First-Light-Landscape-Photographers-Art/dp/1902538242/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1345755905&sr=8-4&keywords=joe+cornish)", full of absolutely outstanding landscape photographs, together with the author´s thoughts that are highly worth reading.
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I've long been an admirer of Simon Nicholas White.
If textures float your boat, then you need look no further!
http://www.simonnicholaswhite.com/archivegallery/gallery-simonnic.html
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John Paul Caponigro (http://www.johnpaulcaponigro.com/gallery/slideshow.php) has unique and very elegant take on abstract landscape.
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And in case you´re prepared and don´t mind some shameless self-promotion here, you might also want to have a look at
- Frank Sirona (http://www.franksirona.com/galleries_04_02_e.html) (color)
which is me, so of course I can´t claim that the latter is doing *amazing* landscapes, which is what you were asking for. But what I can claim is that I´m doing landscapes, and that the idea of abstraction plays an important role for me.
Frank: checked out the website. The canyons series is great. Flame of Stone was the perfect way to open it for me. Definitely a hit in my book.
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I like Bernhard Edmaier:
http://bernhardedmaier.reacore.net/site/en/was.bilder.idx
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Freeman Patterson (http://www.freemanpatterson.com/)
Andre Gallant (http://andregallant.com/)
Not sure if anyone mentioned Tony Sweet (http://tonysweet.com/).
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Frank: checked out the website. The canyons series is great. Flame of Stone was the perfect way to open it for me. Definitely a hit in my book.
James: Great to hear that you liked it - thanks for your feedback!
Best,
Frank
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Art Wolfe has some with a variety of abstract themes:
-looks like a painting
-looks like a pattern
-looks like a fractal
http://prints.artwolfe.com/#s=5&mi=2&pt=1&pi=10000&p=1&a=3&at=0 (http://prints.artwolfe.com/#s=5&mi=2&pt=1&pi=10000&p=1&a=3&at=0)
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John Paul Caponigro (http://www.johnpaulcaponigro.com/gallery/slideshow.php) has unique and very elegant take on abstract landscape.
Hey i am impressed with the photography. Saw the site. Really cool pics! I would like to contact the person How can i get his email id?
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Hey i am impressed with the photography. Saw the site. Really cool pics! I would like to contact the person How can i get his email id?
How about by using the contact page on the web site? http://www.johnpaulcaponigro.com/about/contact.php - it took me all of 2 seconds to find the info. ;)
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How about by using the contact page on the web site?
WAY too easy. That´s for those who don´t seek the challenge.
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My new fav
http://www.kathleenclemonsphotography.com/