The Print of the Month for October is “Autumn’s Play“, made last fall in Harriman State Park. The title came to me as I thought about how I found this image and what inspired me to try and capture the feel of the scene that particular autumn day.

I had been walking around a large lake for some time, surrounded by vibrant colors in every direction. As a photographer, it is so easy to get distracted by the color, and lose sight of other important elements so important to a successful photograph such as compositional interest, visual depth, texture, and mood. While I had already taken many photographs, I didn’t feel like I had captured anything really special.

Always looking in all directions, I often stop and turn around to see the same area from the opposite perspective. I turned one last time, and my eye was immediately drawn to a section of trees that had a simple dominant color backlit by soft overcast light. In addition, the branches created a strong graphic that I really enjoyed, and just beyond in the background were complimentary colors in a subtle hint of nature’s yearly performance.

It felt like autumn in the most perfect way, and I knew I had a chance to capture that feel in a print that I immediately saw in my mind’s eye. I know that when that happens, I have found something special, and the “craft” part of photography takes over. This is where I use the various tools available, whether a great lens or camera, my software of choice, and a great printer, to render the best possible interpretation of the image. But without the initial spark and inspiration, the rest is just an exercise in technique, all too common in landscape photography, including my own.

I would like to recommend an e-book I recently purchased (and downloaded) from fine-art photographer William Neill titled “Landscapes of the Spirit”. It is filled with magnificent images and intelligent, thought provoking essays. The original book has been out of print for a while, but William recently released a digital edition of the book with new scans of the original negatives, and updated information. While I own quite a few landscape books by many different photographers, this photo book has become one of my favorite resources for inspiration and motivation.

Here is my favorite quote from the book which really encompasses my own passion for nature:

“Seeing and feeling beauty is more vital to me than any resulting imagery. When the key elements of photography—light, composition, and emotion—are before me, I am fully engaged, yet detached, without expectations. The magic of my discovery—whether the dramatic light of a clearing storm or an intimate detail on the forest floor—recharges my spirit with a sense of wonder.” - William Neill

There is something in this book for every photographer, regardless of your favorite subject matter. I know that whenever I browse through it, I’m inspired yet again a to go out and find my own moment of wonder.

There is a note-worthy article on the New York Times this morning about Ansel Adams and his gallery at Yosemite National Park. It got me thinking about people’s perceptions about photography and the false belief that an expressive image is “taken” rather than created. It stated how many photographers try and re-create the conditions under which Ansel made so many of his famous images only to find they don’t turn out quite the same. A photographer even worked with an astronomer who had tracked the exact minute the moon would ascend next to Half Dome in the same way it did in front of Adams in 1960 when he photographed his famous “Moonrise and Halfdome”. Similarly, it also notes how many are disappointed when they arrive at Yosemite only to discover it doesn’t look quite the same as in Ansel’s iconic images.

What many seem to forget is that successful landscape photography is about an interpretation, an expression of one’s vision and emotions at the time the shutter is pressed. Ansel was not interested in documenting Yosemite, but rather creating images that expressed his unique vision. People assume that if a photograph is digitally manipulated, or as I prefer “corrected”, it is no longer a valid representation of a landscape. Yet we each have our own way of seeing, and the choices made when photographing, whether time of day, weather conditions, and what we include or remove from a composition all manipulate what is conveyed in an image.

With so many images being created today from all corners of the earth, it is only the strongest and most original interpretations that will stand out from the crowd. And there is plenty of room still left for unique and new ways of seeing. This is what motivates me each time I get up at 4:00 AM to go out for a sunrise shoot. The anticipation of what each day will bring, both in terms of visual beauty and new experiences, should never be taken for granted. As long as I can appreciate each moment for what is is, an original and interpretive image will always be possible if I really open my eyes and mind.