Landscape Beyond – David Ward

November 25, 2010 • Tim Parkin

 

Beauty pains and when it pained most, I shot.
Ernst Haas

A debate almost as old as photography is whether we take or make photographs. I’ve always felt strongly that we make images, that it is a creative act. `Take’ has always seemed too passive, too casual, as if the images were lying around waiting to be picked up by any passing photographer. Knowing how hard it is to produce good photographs, `take’ has thus seemed to be an almost derogatory term. But I’ve recently realised that in one sense photography is all about taking, that it has an acquisitive side. It seems to me that when I’m looking for subjects for my photography I’m actually looking to capture their beauty; one might say that I’m seeking to drag an image of that elusive quality back to my lair so that I may feast my eyes upon it at leisure. William Somerset Maugham put it much more eloquently: ‘Beauty is an ecstasy; it is as simple as hunger.’

Nanven boulder

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David Ward is one of the foremost landscape photographers in the UK. He has written extensivley about philosophy and perception in landscape photography. This is an extract from his second book, Landscape Beyond which you can purchase from Amazon. You can see more pictures at Into the Light

Icelandic moss

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4 Responses

1. Joe Rainbow

   Well there is food for thought!
   As an Art teacher for the last 7 years and a painter before a photographer, I find this article of particular interest. I think fundamentally, as humans, we share so much yet have so many glaring differences, that something as subtle as beauty can be perceived in many different ways. It comes down to an infinite number of variables to make (in this case an image) ‘work’. Memory and experience, personal experience, as there can be no other, form the bulk of ones response to anything, I feel. The more you understand something and want to look at it, the more merit one can see. I think this is why so many artists feel that only they understand something, because they have so long investing in it. Art or imagery that sings through the ages as ‘beautiful’ must dig beneath just our logical conscious understanding, and grab us by the more unifying subconscious truth. I genuinely believe this comes down to our personal belief values of how the world works. As a generalisation the utilitarian will like the uncluttered functionality of Post modernist conceptualism, and the beauty found in visualising a thought, whereas the romantic will like the Impressionists pursuit of light etc..We are all different, in terms of how we see, what we look for, where we came from, what our history is, and where our beliefs are placed. Contemporary art is essentially led by fashion in order to sell. Truth in beauty, and the beauty in truth, are born of something universal that crosses all these bridges of individuality. (Not to say that because it is contemporary it can’t be beautiful) It is something so interlinked with our fundamental make up that we can’t escape its grip.
   So I believe, that beauty can be found by all, but like truth, each individual finds that truth in different places. As long as you find it and it moves you for the better, does it really matter where you sourced it?
   To get the beauty from Shakespeare, you first have to learn to read, and really in Old English. Learning to see beauty is the real trick for me. Suddenly it can be everywhere if you think about it in the right way.

   P.s. How we actually ‘see’ is up for debate. Cultural differences will affect our perception for instance. This is one of those never ending but useful debates that one could and should have.

   On November 28, 2010 at 11:45 pm • Reply
2. dougchinnery

   I am not an intellectual. I often find it hard to put into words why I do what I do with my images and why I find certain styles, compositions and effects so appealing. I wish I could explain myself as well as David does.

   I own several of his books and love immersing myself in his words and images. he is a grand master of our craft and should be mentioned more often. His images here defy description. I cannot stop looking at ‘Goldfield Barn’ and ‘Blue Iron’ in particular.

   Thank you David for putting into words much of what I feel but find hard to express. And thank you for sharing your stunning images.

   On November 29, 2010 at 5:23 pm • Reply
3. adamp

   Thanks David for sharing these superb images – some of which I saw you set-up. And once again the final result has surpassed what I thought you were shooting. How do you do it? I need to re-read that book! Rgds., Adam

   On December 1, 2010 at 8:01 pm • Reply
4. Bob-G

   For me David Ward is perhaps the best photographer/author publishing today. I have both his books and sincerely hope he will find time to publish many more. The fat that he is writing articles for this website far and away justifies the subscription price for me. I can read his work time and again and continue to learn from it. I also find continued inspiration in his images and particularly his intimate landscapes. A true master!

   On February 20, 2011 at 12:22 pm • Reply