MOSI will be extending our exhibit of Florida landscapes through the month of February. The show is on the second floor, in the hallway next to “Disasterville.” If you’re out that way, please drop by.
In a world that desperately needs subverting, nature photography is art at its most subtly subversive. Landscapes and animal portraits, no matter how finely detailed or sensitively rendered, may not stop wars, dramatically alter the course of human events, or even tweak the collective conscience -at least not much- yet they have a mysterious and undeniable power, and a healing grace. In nature photography, more than any other genre, the spiritual is glimpsed and made manifest. There is a profound and comforting resonance as what seemed chaotic is revealed to be harmonious. The commonest weed is miraculous, and sublime.
There is also an element of sadness, an implication that what is depicted is transitory, and, if it hasn’t already, may vanish the moment we turn away.
While I hold these generalizations to be valid, I still can’t say why some photographs affect me deeply. Or why I’m compelled to photograph some things and not others. And maybe that’s as it should be. It’s a meditative process, and, in the end, an intuitive response. A famous photographer once said “I don’t take photographs, photographs take me.” Another, whose work I love, said “the pleasures of good photography are the pleasures of good photography.” Lacking their Zen-like perspective, I say: “It depends, I guess, on how you look at it… ”
Submitted for your approval, as Rod Serling used to say, are these assorted views of natural Florida, our back yard. I hope you enjoy them.
An exhibit of 22 Florida landscapes, some old, some new, opened today. It will run until Jan. 30th. It’s in the connecting hall next to “Disasterville” (not an omen, hopefully). Thanks to the good folks at MOSI for showing my work, and for their hospitality.
Under the guidance of Wit Ostrenko, MOSI continues to be a world class science and industry museum. If you go, prepare to spend the day, and bring your sense of wonder.
We’re installing a selection of large giclee color landscapes at the Safety Harbor Public Library on July 9. It’s a small group of 6 or 7 images, on one wall of the lobby. If you find yourself in beautiful Safety Harbor in July or August, please stop by.
I’ll be judging the Tampa Regional Artists Photo Show this year. I’m really looking forward to seeing some superb, creative work from this talented group of artists. The show opens in mid-July, at their gallery at 705 Swann. Come on down!
We have two shows scheduled for the remainder of 2011. The first is in the new Safety Harbor Public Library, and runs through July and August. There will probably be a reception but we don’t have the date for that yet. The second is at Tampa’s Museum Of Science & Industry (MOSI), and opens in late November. We’ll post more info when it becomes available.
The release date of Tim Ohr’s latest book, “Florida’s Illustrated Historical Places” (which I mistakenly referred to as “Florida’s Fabulous Historic Places” in an earlier post) is now September, 2011. Like Tim’s earlier publications, it promises to be the most comprehensive and lavishly illustrated book of it’s type ever produced, an indispensable guide for anyone interested in touring Florida’s numerous historical sites and landmarks. For other books by Tim Ohr, please check the link on this page.
Just had the interesting experience of being asked to do a nature shoot for Mosaic, one of the most environmentally destructive companies in Florida. Sometimes you just have to say no.
In a recent submission to another site, I was asked some fundamental questions. The administrator wanted to know my goals, current projects, and what inspired me, basic questions every serious photographer must confront. I realized the answers had evolved since the last time I considered them. How would you have answered?
Goals: Nature photography can have a profoundly positive influence when it engages the viewer. My goals are to reveal the fragile beauty of Florida’s wild lands, and to communicate their value and irreplaceability to as wide an audience as possible. To this end I hope to work as long as I’m able, to continue to hone my craft, and to continue to have my work published, exhibited, and collected.
What I’m working on now: I’m gathering photos for a monograph of Florida landscapes. The working title is “Intimate Landscapes, Visions of Florida’s Wild Lands.” To keep the work fresh, I’m visiting new locations and exploring alternative techniques, including panoramas, multiple exposures, and infrared photography. I’m also developing a line of greeting cards based on images from the book.
Inspiration: It comes from lots of sources, some of them unlikely. It could be the cinematography of Akira Kurosawa or a painting by Cezanne. I admire and am moved by the photographic works of Elliot Porter, Bruce Heinemann, Fay Godwin, and Shinzo Maeda. There are a thousand others as well, not all of them landscape photographers. As Lee Friedlander said, “The pleasures of good photography are the pleasures of good photography.” While I gravitate towards images of the land, the subject, ultimately, isn’t paramount. Craftsmanship can elevate the most mundane subject matter.
Inspiration is fine, but discipline is key. You have to rise early. You have to attend, no matter how long the drive or how far the hike. When the location is right, when conditions are right, the land speaks loudly for itself. Photographers have a phrase for the decisive moment when light and spatial relationships intersect in a manner pleasing to the eye: “f8 and be there.” Landscape photographers may use a different aperture, but the principle is the same: be there, be mindful, respond to the unfolding beauty, and to the best of your ability, convey the wonder.