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“Beauty is truth, Truth beauty – that is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.”
Keats may have had a penchant for the pretty but he certainly had an elegant way with words. This issue has me grappling slightly less elegantly with the subject of truth, honesty and photography. It had me asking the question of what it really is that separates photography from the other ‘fine’ arts. The obvious answer was the connection that it has with the subject. Whilst my article discussed the ways in your audience might ‘expect’ your images to be created, the bigger question is really about how we use this connection with the subject in a more creative way. Is our connection with the landscape merely that of raw material gathering for post-processing, a staunch recorder of the visual truth or do we have a deeper connection with the environment in which we work. As I have learned more about the geology, flora and fauna in my local area, the types of photograph I wish to capture have changed. My interests have drawn me to less obvious views, either smaller of scale or of aspects of the landscape that aren’t obvious to the camera (the paleohistory of the land for instance). Writing this article has made me think more on the way we transmit the ‘truth’ of the land to our audience and realise that the continuing to argue about levels of post-processing, cloning and compositing is maybe missing the bigger picture.
Tim Parkin
Issue 162 PDF
Click here to download issue 162 (high quality, 155Mb) Click here to download issue 162 (smaller download, 94Mb) more
Realism and Honesty in Photography
The role of realism in photographs, as discussed in Guy Tal’s recent article on the morality and realism in photography, is as provocative as it is elusive. Guy’s article, whilst impeccably written and well received, stimulated debate and discussion both on our website and amongst many of my colleagues. more
End frame: Boreray, St Kilda by Scott Robertson
I have never been to the St Kilda archipelago, but thanks to Scott's enormous efforts I feel like I have. more
Subscribers 4×4 Portfolios
Our 4x4 feature is a set of 4 landscape photography portfolios from our subscribers: Charlotte Bellamy, Gaetana Ebbole, Kent Burkhardsmeier & Paulo Valdivia. more
Reflective photography and the essence of place
The idea that things and places have an essence is an ancient one, dating back at least to the Greeks and Romans. more
Floris van Breugel
His photographs offer a different perspective on the American landscape that emphasises biodiversity and includes a sense of scale and delicacy while hinting at the epic adventures that may be had there. more
Yan Preston – Photographic Projects
Between 2010 and 2014, for my ‘Mother River’ project, I photographed the entire 6,211km Yangtze River in China at precise 100 intervals with a large-format film camera. From 2010 to 2017, I investigated urban replantation and ecology recovery in China by photographing transplanted old trees. It might be a good time to reflect on "Why projects?" more
Liquid photography
This same fast paced culture of immediacy, speed and acceleration have also shaped not only the way we photograph but also the way we consume photography and the motivations and aspirations we have of the medium when we embrace it. more
Norfolk
The quality of the light can change dramatically depending on weather conditions and seasons. Autumn, spring and summer mists frequently cloak the Broadland rivers. more
Unique Photography Collaboration
Cooperation, commitment, reaching out to a wider community is what drives the IrishLight Collection concept. The setting is the Irish landscape, but we very much consider this an international idea inspired by the worldwide community we see on our workshops, in magazines, online and at exhibitions. more
Photography, Chance and Solitude
Critics of landscape photography and there are many, argue that it romantically pedals a dangerous myth that the natural environment is an unspoilt, Garden of Eden. more