I enjoy reading photography blogs, with many serving as excellent sources of inspiration and thought-provoking ideas that I use to help shape and inform my own work. The following three articles have stood out over the last few weeks in their discussion of important topics for landscape photographers. I encourage you to take a few minutes to read each one.
How Not to Hate the Current State of Landscape Photography by Alex Mody We have been fortunate to spend time with Alex in the field on a few different occasions and I always find his insights and thoughtfulness to be inspiring. In this particular article, he discusses some of the less appealing aspects of the current state of landscape photography and suggests some ideas for moving beyond the common laments to instead focus on using this energy on making your own work more meaningful and significant.
The Experience Deficit by Chuck Kimmerle I have been reading Chuck’s blog since he started it and always come away with the same impression – he has a gift for making impactful points with clarity and succinctness. This makes Chuck’s writing a joy to read. In this post, he discusses the increasingly pervasive issue of inexperienced photographers teaching workshops as nothing more “than a commodity to trade for cash” with the predictable result of encouraging little more than copying and homogenization.
I do believe that newer photographers still have something to offer and that you do not need decades of experience to speak with authority and expertise. Still, Chuck’s points are important considerations if you care about how photographers are being “educated” through most of the workshops that are offered today. If more workshop leaders had a higher commitment to excellence, striving to create meaningful images, and encouraging creativity, the landscape photography world would be a better place.
The Educated Audience by Guy Tal Guy Tal’s writing has been very influential in my development as a photographer and I consider most of his posts to be essential reading for landscape photographers who are concerned about creating meaningful, personal work. I found this post to be especially compelling because I have been diligently trying to do some of the things he suggests in his post and the rewards have been significant. If you only view landscape photography in one or two online communities, you are missing out on the rewards that can come from viewing, contemplating, and reading about art that is different from your own or has something to offer beyond being popular to the masses.
If you have thoughts on any of these topics or links to your own recommended reading, please include them below.