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A new book, Masters of Landscape Photography, presents ideas from some of the biggest names in the genre. Ross Hoddinott, writer-consultant, talks about his genesis with Geoff Harris
Hodge Close and Langdale Pikes of Holme Fell, Cumbria, by Joe Cornish. Sony a7R, Zeiss Sonar 55mm, 1 / 25sec to f / 10, ISO 100. These images are published here courtesy of Masters of Landscape Photography © published by Ammonite Press, RRP £ 25, Available online and in all good bookstores
Too bad that someone is trying to find 16 masters of landscape photography to figure in an eponymous book because there are so many big names to choose from across every continent. Fortunately, Ross Hoddinott and the rest of the Ammonite Press team have succeeded. Ross is a well-known landscape photographer and recognizes that it would always be a subjective decision as to who would make the final cut.
"Choosing who to put in the book was very difficult and watching," Ross tells AP from his studio in North Cornwall, a person with such knowledge might have invented 16 different photographers. "In introduction, I specify that we do not say that the 16 photographers of the book are the" best "- this is only a selection. And there will always be a certain degree of bias in this selection because it will be the photographers who inspire me or whose style I like. Some iconic names will always come to mind, but I also wanted to introduce some lesser known photographers, who offer a different style.
The idea of Masters of Landscape Photography came from Jason Hook, the publisher at Ammonite Press, for whom Ross has already written several books. Ross was on board from the beginning. I liked the idea. I remembered seeing a similar book about the best landscape photographers when I was younger, and I thought there was nothing like it at the moment. I saw Masters of Landscape Photography as an opportunity to explore different styles and attitudes, and to fashion them into a complete book – not a bias for a particular but open style to different interpretations and inspirations.
Fairy Land of Zhejiang, Zhejiang, China, by Thierry Bornier. Phase IQ280, Schneider Kreuznach 80mm, three seconds to f / 14, ISO 50
Variety Show
As this author knows, try to get people visually oriented to talk in depth about their inspirations and ways However, Ross believes that everyone involved in Masters of Landscape Photography was very open.
"It can be difficult to get people to answer questions in detail, but everyone liked the concept. Much of the credit should also go to the editor, Rob Yarham, who asked some excellent questions. Even taking into account the usual headaches that you feel in book publishing, I think the project has gone relatively smoothly.
While flipping through the book, it's refreshing to see a variety of creative responses to the landscape. here only scenes in long exposure water numbers taken at the golden hour with the compulsory wet block in the foreground. More abstract and impressionist approaches are also described, which was a conscious decision by the publishers.
Hollywell Bay, Cornwall, by Ross Hoddinott. Nikon D810, 17-35mm, five seconds to f / 11, ISO 64
"We see different ways to capture the landscape, so I wanted to include Valda Bailey and Sandra Bartocha, for example, who are very creative in their approach, "says Ross. With a book like this, you can not please everyone. Some will like more experimental styles, others will prefer a more "clbadic" landscape approach. The less conventional approaches will not please everyone, but I think it's good to highlight the more abstract and impressionistic styles that we also see in animal photography.
And as Ross notes, deliberately breaking down perceived orthodoxy can become an orthodoxy in itself. "In photography, there are always trends. I've always wanted to enjoy the kind of images that I like and not be too influenced by what is fashionable. Certainly, there are photographers right now who avoid clbadic landscape approaches, but I still like to take those kinds of photos. I therefore invite readers to take photos that they like, rather than worrying about outside views. And yes, there is a risk that by not complying, you simply comply with something else anyway.
Fearless, by Marc Adamus, showing the Grand Canyon in Colorado. Nikon D800, 14-24mm, 1 / 10sec to f / 14, ISO 32
Adapt or Die
While some names in the book will be less familiar to AP readers, there are some of the usual suspects, like Joe Cornish and Art Wolfe. Ross does not see such old well-publicized hands as predictable or problematic.
"The most established photographers are not only included because their photography is excellent, but because it is a difficult profession. If you look at people like Joe or Art, you can see how they have coped with all the changes in the industry and they are still there, so great credit for them. I do not know if there will be a new generation of iconic names in 10 years. Nowadays, there are so many people doing photography at such a high level that it's hard for anyone to make a meaningful name and stand out in the same way as Joe or Art. Maybe I can come back to you in 2028?
The box below gives a taste of some of the wise counsel of the book Masters of Landscape Photography and each photographer insists on different things in their fascinating and informative interviews – but Ross believes that There are unifying themes emerging from the book.
"In terms of technique, I was amazed at the diversity of tips. You have David Noton on a page that says that he would not want to spend more than four or five minutes processing a photo, so Marc Adamus says he can spend hours on it, or Valda Bailey pulling at / 32 while everyone is trying to avoid diffraction. I guess the only big theme to emerge is how much landscape photography has become a challenge.
Rapids, Abisko River, Lapland, Sweden, by Hans Strand. Hbadelblad H3DII-50, 210mm lens, one second to f / 16, ISO 50
Inevitably, you have to compromise to make money right now. Living landscape photography is a very different thing to go out and take great pictures. There are ongoing challenges and pressures to write more; do more discussions, clbades and workshops; and there is a concern that this pressure will begin to stifle long-term creativity.
Indeed, Ross believes that landscape photography as a purist career is dying quickly, if not already dead. "If you define being a professional landscape photographer by simply taking photos, I think it's probably impossible in 2018," says Ross. "But if you define as living activities that relate to landscape photography, such as lectures, books, and articles, then it's difficult but still achievable." In a sense, I've was lucky, because when I became a professional, the revenue from the stock images was already decreasing, so I never expected to travel around the world and make money selling the images And I've always thought that I had to do different things to survive … Many great photographers have seen the industry change mbadively, but you have to diversify or not survive. "
Sunset on poppies, Durweston, Dorset, from Mark Bauer, Fujifilm X-Pro2, 10-24mm, 1 / 6sec to f / 16, ISO 200
Tips from masters
Some tips from Masters of La ndscape Photography
Colin Prior
& # 39; Depth of field is an illusion. Remember, we look at the pixels on a page or screen and one of the challenges to becoming an authoritative photographer is to be able to create the illusion of three-dimensionality. It goes beyond small openings … It's basically the ability to read the three-dimensional world in which we live and understand how it will translate into the two-dimensional world of photography.
Daniel Kordan
"I am constantly searching for light and strong compositions. On the one hand, the idea of a composition must be clear and simple, and on the other hand, I prefer to have complicated three-dimensional scenes with a distinctive foreground, balanced with the other elements of the image. I use a strong perspective, a rhythmic perspective and visual paths in my photographs, while trying not to lose the sense of scale.
Hans Strand
"I never use filters these days. If the sky is too bright compared to the landscape, I simply make an additional exposure of 2 or 3 stops and I mix it with the landscape exposure at the treatment stage. In this way, I get fluid and natural transitions between the earth and the sky, in a way that you never use with graduated filters.
Sandra Bartocha
"If I had to decide which piece is the most useful for me, then I would probably say my Nikon D810 and the Nikkor 80-400mm lens. This combination gives me a great variety of possibilities to capture the landscape and the details in an intimate way.
Joe Cornish
"No place is a photographic cliché. The only clichés are the overused, stupid and derivative approaches used to take pictures of these places … The problem of photography is that it is both descriptive and easy, and seemingly sophisticated appearances can be realized without effort, especially with a camera and apps. I believe in individual vision, the possibility of a relationship with the landscape, and the unique circumstances and conditions of each encounter. As familiar as it is, it is possible to maintain a certain innocence, so that each time we see it again.
Tom Mackie
"If I had to use a single filter, it would be a polarizer, help eliminate foliage reflections, increase color saturation, and pop the clouds in a deep blue sky. I like the effect that ND filters, the Little Stopper, the Big Stopper and the Super Stopper can achieve with moving clouds, smoothing the water to enhance glare and create blurring in moving subjects such as flowers. "
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Lars van der Goor
"You need & # 39; a pleasant light to begin , to have a more dreamy look. In addition, fog is a perfect ingredient to add a dreamy feel to an image. The use of a shallow depth of field is another way. By focusing on the first trees, for example, in an alley lined with trees, you'll have this pretty blur-like background painting.
Masters of Landscape Photography now available from Ammonite Press for £ 25, ISBN 978-1781453209. See the website at www.ammonitepress.com and Ross Hoddinott's website at www.rosshoddinott.co.uk.
Masters of Landscape Photography now available from Ammonite Press for £ 25, ISBN 978-1781453209. See the website at www.ammonitepress.com and Ross Hoddinott's website at www.rosshoddinott.co.uk. Source link
