Luminous Landscape Forum
The Art of Photography => The Coffee Corner => Topic started by: Slobodan Blagojevic on April 15, 2014, 11:51:12 am
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A forum friend asked me recently in a PM to recommend some good books from landscape photographers (other than Ansel Adams). I thought it might be a good idea to share my recommendations with everyone and invite others to share theirs.
- I'll start with a book, a convenient overview of the subject, though I do not necessarily always agree with their choices: "The World's Top Photographers - Landscape (http://www.amazon.com/The-Worlds-Top-Photographers-Landscape/dp/2880465761/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397522495&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=the+world%27s+top+landscape+photographres)" that might also be a nice guide to some less known names.
- Ernst Haas, the book "Creation (http://www.amazon.com/The-Creation-Ernst-Haas/dp/0140042849/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397576259&sr=8-1&keywords=haas+creation)" - color, one of my earliest influences in landscape. Web link: http://www.ernst-haas.com
- Eric Meola (http://www.ericmeola.photography), Pete Turner (http://www.peteturner.com) - color - not necessarily just landscapes
- Michael Fatali (http://fatali.com) - color - met him in his Utah gallery
- Michael Kenna (http://www.michaelkenna.net) - b&w
- Joe Cornish (http://www.joecornishgallery.co.uk) - color - a UK guy I took a workshop with back in 2000 in Cornwall, UK - currently to lead LuLa/PODAS on Isle of Skye with Kevin Raber
- John Sexton (http://johnsexton.com) - b&w - AA disciple, still working. Book (http://www.amazon.com/Recollections-Decades-Photography-John-Sexton/dp/0967218888/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1397524288&sr=1-3&keywords=john+sexton).
Enough to get the ball rolling. Your turn. gentlemen!
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Thanks, Slobodan, good idea!
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I like these guys
http://www.yosemiteconservancystore.com/prod-235-1-127/first-light-five-photographers-explore-yosemites-wilderness.htm
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Thanks, Slobodan. Some really useful information there.
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Here are some landscapes (there are others in the site)
http://www.mariogiacomelli.it/53_paesaggi.html (http://www.mariogiacomelli.it/53_paesaggi.html)
http://www.mariogiacomelli.it/64_paesaggi.html
http://www.mariogiacomelli.it/75_presa.html (http://www.mariogiacomelli.it/75_presa.html)
P.S. Most of the photos from above were taken from the hills, not from the plane.
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The Magnum book on Landscape.
Brian
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http://www.mitchdobrowner.com/albums/land-1/
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“Knowing the physical pressures of time and energy attendant on ambitious mountain expeditions, we are amazed by the mood of calmness and perfection pervading all of Sella’s photographs. The exquisitely right moment of exposure, the awareness of the orientation of camera and sun best to reveal the intricacies of the forms of ice and stone, the unmannered viewpoint — these qualities reveal the reverent and intelligent artist. In Sella’s photographs there is no faked grandeur; rather there is understatement, caution, and truthful purpose… Sella has brought to us not only the facts and forms of far-off splendours of the world, but the essence of experience which finds a spiritual response in the inner recesses of our mind and heart.”
Ansel Adams
http://http://www.decaneasarchive.com/vsella.html (http://www.decaneasarchive.com/vsella.html)
http://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_2009_files/AJ%202009%20207-216%20Haworth-Booth%20Sella.pdf (http://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_2009_files/AJ%202009%20207-216%20Haworth-Booth%20Sella.pdf)
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Enough to get the ball rolling. Your turn. gentlemen!
And ladies? ::) Although I'm closer to the former than the latter.
There's Sebastio Selgado's tome 'Genesis (http://www.taschen.com/pages/en/catalogue/photography/all/02613/facts.sebastio_salgado_genesis.htm)', but you need to bring both your own Brink's truck and a crane to lift the thing. I've always admired Clyde Butcher's work; he has books (http://www.clydebutcher.com/gifts/#books), as well as the books (http://www.freemanpatterson.com/books.htm)by Freeman Patterson. Another excellent photographer (we need to get a woman in here somewhere) is Elizabeth Carmel. She has books (http://www.elizabethcarmel.com/Elizabeth-Carmel-Books-s/45.htm)! Oh, and John Paul Caponigro has books (http://johnpaulcaponigro.com/store/books.php) too.
Mike.
Pssst... should anyone mention that Michael Reichmann guy? He's got a couple of books out...
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Mike, my initial idea for the thread, and perhaps it is entirely my fault that I did not explain it well, was not to provide a laundry list of every landscape photographer under the sun, but to give it a bit more personal angle as to which books and photographers inspired or impressed YOU as a landscape photographer.
However, given that this is an open thread, whatever guys (and gals, of course) want to post if fine with me too.
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I knew I shouldn't have mentioned that Michael Reichmann guy. And for the record, those who I listed have and continue to inspire me with their work. :)
Mike.
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I became inspired to learn more about landscape photography after reading John Shaw's books. I'd like to see him write something for this site. I've always been inspired by William Neil's http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/los.shtml work. When he lived in El Portal, CA, he showed me some of his 4x5 transparencies which led me to medium format work from 35mm.
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I was impressed enough by Richard Sexton's work to purchase a print from the gallery that reps his work, in NOLA. Although his web site shows some of his work ( http://www.richardsextonstudio.com/home.html ) you can get a better feel for the black and white marsh/coastal images that impressed me, by looking at the gallery site ( http://www.agallery.com/Pages/departments/exhibitions.html ) or in the book "Terra Incognita".
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The only book I have come across that I would recommend is the one by Art Wolfe, "The Art of Photographing Nature". Very well written and edited and stunning images.
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…inspired or impressed YOU as a landscape photographer.
There are so many impressive photobooks. Whittle-down 10 years of work into 100 images and there'll probably be something to impress everyone; so project-based photobooks can seem a more impressive achievement.
I don't seem to take direct inspiration from the impressive photographs that I've seen. They do make me more aware of what's possible, even when it isn't something I wish to pursue. I expect those images indirectly influence what I see in a landscape. I suspect all those soft-light post-cards (http://www.colinbaxter.co.uk/) and hard-light calendars (http://shop.anseladams.com/Ansel_Adams_2014_Engagement_Calendar_p/1449310.htm) inspire indirectly.
The inspiration I take from "Galen Rowell's Vision: the Art of Adventure Photography (http://books.google.com/books?ei=AZ9WU8jOOIOTyAS3nYCIDg&id=kWsZAQAAIAAJ)" and "Ansel Adams: Divine Performance (http://books.google.com/books/about/Ansel_Adams.html?id=u4ZWk8_BM7IC)" is - That's Galen Rowell Doing His Thing - and - That's Ansel Adams Doing His Thing - and I'll do something different.
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…a convenient overview of the subject, … "The World's Top Photographers - Landscape"…
Thanks for mentioning that book: it's been several years since I looked through it, but you've prompted me to pick it off the library shelf and it is very good.
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O.K., because Slobodan reminded us that this is an open thread I want to bring up that there are, and have been, many wonderful photographers who don't publish books of pretty sunsets, moonrises or still tidal waters. And I totally understand that Slobodan made it clear in his opening thread what types of landscape books he was looking for.
My take on landscapes was drastically altered about 5 years ago when I first learned of The New Topographics exhibit in Rochester, NY. (http://bit.ly/1nES3xz)
Joel Sternfeld's "Oxbow Archive" (http://bit.ly/1hbYoJH) made me realize that the observed landscape, wherever I may come across it, deserves to be photographed warts and all. Robert Adams, one of the original New Topographics photographers, creates beautiful books full of haunting images. John Gossage's "The Pond" is a beautiful book.
I don't minimize the ability or the effects of the creativity of all those mentioned in previous threads. I do think that landscape photography, for me and for others, is on a very different path.
David
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David, you are absolutely welcome to introduce us to The New Topographics!
Although not something that I do, I very much appreciate it. As I mentioned later in the thread, I am not looking for a particular landscape style only (i.e., chocolate-box pretty, pretty much what I do) but for links/books that inspired each of us. There are many things in photography and life that I am fascinated about, and admire and enjoy, though I do not do them (music comes to mind). I am also a fan of Andreas Gursky landscapes, though he is certainly as far from chocolate-box landscapes as I am from his millions ;)
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The Art of Photography, by Bruce Barnbaum, taught be a lot about exposure and the Zone system.
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As far as publishing landscape photography books, Philip Hyde was very prolific. Just look at this list.
http://www.philiphyde.com/index.php#mi=1&pt=0&pi=8&s=0&p=0&a=0&at=0
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I hesitate to mention this one because it's not a photography book, but it's one of my favourite books of all time and it changed how I see the world, which inspires my landscape photography and composition in general. It's called 'The Power of Limits: Proportional Harmonies in Nature, Art, and Architecture (http://www.shambhala.com/the-power-of-limits.html)' by by György Doczi.
Mike.
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I have bought a few books from this German book printer
http://www.tecklenborg-verlag.de/index.php/cat/c9_Naturbilder.html
http://www.tecklenborg-verlag.de/index.php/cat/c13_Laender-und-Landschaften.html
http://www.tecklenborg-verlag.de/index.php/cat/c8_Wildlife-Fotografien-des-Jahres.html
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What a great list of names and inspirations. I recognize some that are inspirational to me: Meola, Keena, Salgado, Sexton, Shaw...
When I started in photography, I learned a lot in terms of technique with John Shaw's books (Landscape photography, Close-ups in nature). Very useful and wonderful photos too.
I was very early on impressed by Salgado's work, his Ethiopia series, the Work series, and Genesis. To me, there is a common thread across his photography, and the word that comes to mind is "biblical", both in terms of scope and especially the way the light is handled, and the way the human race is portrayed amongst the natural realm.
I also like McCurry's work a lot, again, it has to do with the human element "lost" in the landscape, as a point of scale only.
One of the "landscape" books I have enjoyed the most is one that was published by a series of photographers in 2000, which was the result of project worldwide, where they went out on the dawn of 1 January 2000 (or 2001?) and shot the landscape in their home country. I do not remember the title now, but it is an amazing collection of photos.
Rgds
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Though known for his street photography, Hnri-Cartier Bresson could craft a nice landscape.
A friend in rural Northern Nevada I would consider both a great documentary photographer of her family's decades in the outback with great landscapes of the region is Linda Dufurena and her book "Fifty Miles From Home" with text by her daughter-in-law Carolyn a geologist by training.
My colleague Elizabeth Carmel and her husband Olaf here in California are also successful landscape photographer with two galleries and multiple books to their credit.
Of course there's the three generations of Munch.
A couple of other influences include the "color" AA-Phil Hyde a master of vision and craft. His son David continues in the family passion.
Lots more but this is a good start for folks.
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Thanks a lot.. This is really a good collection.