The new year starts with an issue that loosely revolves around the idea that that change is one of the only persistent themes in history. Whatever we were doing when we were younger always seems more ‘real’ than all of the changes we see now and on the horizon. And yet the core essence of what we do as photographers hasn’t really changed and, if we don’t want it to, it shouldn’t change in the future either. Photography has so many different expressions in terms of taste and process that people can find in it whatever suits their current desires, but at the core of landscape photography we always find a passion for being in the landscape and finding some expression of ourselves in it. This shouldn’t change, whatever camera you might use. I remember an anecdote from a good friend of mine. She had spent two weeks photographing in the US using a large format camera. She loved every moment of the trip and came back really happy with the experiences. However, a malfunction with her film holder meant that none of the photographs worked. Despite the initial disappointment, I think it was a great lesson in how the pictures were only the icing on the cake and a large part of that trip was about the experience of seeing and distilling. Just like Chris Murray says in his article in this issue, “Liberating oneself from the obligation to make photos and experiencing the world with our eyes, mind, and heart alone can be all the reward we need.”

Tim Parkin

2nd Jan 2023 - Buachaille Etive Mor from Beinn a'Chrulaiste

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