Some Inspiration
Rushing into the final two weeks of our call for “The Great Outdoors” we thought you might want a little inspiration as you head out to photograph, or even as you simply look through your photo archive. Keep in mind that there are photographs to be made everywhere. Sometimes we simply need to open ourselves up to really seeing what is around us. While we may look forward (or dream) of a far off destination, sometimes the photo is right in front of us, or right outside our window.
Below are some resources to inspire us all.
Robert Adams has been provocatively photographing peoples’ interactions with the landscape for decades. His work focuses on the “underlying tension in … the contradiction between landscapes visibly transformed or scarred by human presence and the inherent beauty of light and land rendered by the camera.”
This video on Christopher Burkett shows the artist’s process as he rushes to complete his large format film work. Burkett only prints his incredibly detailed images on discontinued Cibachrome (you can read more about his process here), so when the material is gone, it is gone forever.
Charcoal Book Club curates, often hard to find, photographic books to encourage exploration through print. Find artists you may never have heard of, but who inspire you to look deeper at word around you. In this age of pixels, instant sharing, and “likes” this is valuable resource to provide a tangible, ongoing inspiration.
Looking for a little more adventure in your outdoor photography, well Ben Moon will provide you not only with adventure, but his photos are also filled with emotion.
NANPA “provides information, education, inspiration and opportunity for all persons interested in nature photography.” Organizations like this are a great resource to meet other photographers and learn, not only the techniques to photograph nature, but also ethical considerations as we pursue our craft.
Hopefully this small but incredibly diverse list will give you a little inspiration as you observe and photograph the world around you.