“Silent Trees” was photographed recently on a local hike in Dennings Point, a peninsula on the Hudson River.

There are many types of landscape photographs, encompassing the wide range of subjects available at any given location. I’m partial to the ”grand vista“ where a wide angle lens allows for great depth and the eye is lead from near to far, traveling over the many details like a symphony building to a grand crescendo. I certainly enjoy them the most, and I think they represent our natural way of seeing the world around us.

However, the ”intimate landscape“ or the extraction of a greater scene is one that I have always found challenging, yet rewarding in many different ways. This image is one that I immediately visualized while finishing a photo shoot that had not been particularly productive. It happened so quickly that had I not been ready, I would have probably missed the warm subdued light that gave the branches their wonderful texture and dimensionality. You never know what you’ll come across if you allow yourself to see - another reason I never put my camera away until I’m back home.

Does the technology matter, and more specifically, does the camera matter?

Ahh, the 64,000 question. I have generally avoided in-depth discussions of camera equipment on the blog simply because I have always advocated and stressed the art of photography over the seeming obsession with technology these days. I also noticed that sites discussing the aesthetics of photography were quite rare.

Two recent articles on the internet motivated me to share my thoughts about this controversial subject. Ken Rockwell’s article “Your Camera Doesn’t Matter” inspired a sharp rebuttal titled “The Camera Does Matter” by the creator of the Luminous Landscape website, Michael Reichman. The cliché “it’s not the hammer, but the carpenter” comes to mind, but I’ve been through this before not so long ago…

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This month’s featured print is titled “View From Crow’s Nest“, taken close to my home in the Hudson Valley on a cold, brisk, fall evening. Looking for new and different views of the river and surrounding mountains, I headed out to some hiking trails I was aware of, but had not had a chance to explore. The Hudson Highlands are full of trails, and many yield different views depending on the time of day and year. Because the river lies in between several mountains, it is always a challenge to find a location where light during the golden hour will be where you want it! As I hiked northward along the trail, I noticed a high ridge east towards the river, and decide to climb my way to the highest spot I could see. When I finally reached the top, I had a commanding view of the Hudson, and I became excited with the potential for a special photograph. After some exploring, I found a huge rock about the size of a small car, and knew I had the ingredients I usually look for in a landscape image. All I needed now was the right light, and the right composition.
With so many details in the frame, I struggled quite a bit to find the perspective that would simplify the image, but include a sense of scale and grandeur of where I was. Finally I felt confident, and all that remained was the light. As usual, a huge bank of clouds moved in to obscure the western sky, and I started to have my doubts about my chances. But I didn’t give up, and the sun broke through the clouds at the very last minute before sunset, throwing a beautiful warm light across part of scene, and I took full advantage of it! I shot about 3 frames, and no sooner than that, the light was gone for good. But I was exhilarated with what I had seen and captured, and the hike back to my car was effortless.
Landscape photography is certainly about craft and technique, but it is also as much about perseverance and vision, and about the pure desire to share an emotion with the viewer. And this for me, is its greatest reward.

I love all of the seasons, but fall is especially exciting in the northeast, and I’ve been out exploring and shooting almost daily for the past two weeks. Peak color is still about a week away, but this varies with terrain, altitude, and location. I find fall shooting quite challenging because it is easy to get seduced by all of the color and make images that don’t stand up if the color were to be removed. Although color can be a very strong element in a successful landscape photograph, I always look for a strong composition, and favorable light to really bring the color element to life. Colors are everywhere this time of year, but I enjoy taking the time to find unique viewpoints, and changing weather to show the season in a different way that is not as familiar.

This is one of the greatest challenges of landscape photography, and one that I will be discussing in great detail in my upcoming seminar. As I’ve said many times before, patience and perseverance are key hallmarks of a landscape photographer, and though frustration is inevitable when conditions just don’t match your expectations, there is always something to learn when you’re out with your camera.

Although I rarely talk about equipment, I just upgraded my tripod to a Gitzo 6X GT2530 carbon model, and I couldn’t be happier with it’s quality, construction, and performance. Compared to my previous tripod, a carbon Manfrotto 190MF3, which is a great tripod and has served me well for two years, the Gitzo is lighter, more stable, easier to open and extend the legs, and just feels better to me. Coupled with a Kirk BH-3 Ballhead, it feels solid with all of my lenses including my Canon 70-200L f/2.8 IS, my heaviest lens. Of course, the price is a major obstacle, but being the most important pice of gear I use after my camera, and as someone who puts his gear through all sorts of conditions, it is well worth it.

The world of landscape photography is filled with many great names both past and present, and studying great work is something I never tire of doing. I often revisit many of my favorite images in my library of photo books, always seeing and learning something new, and finding inspiration to continue to learn and evolve as a landscape photographer. Selecting my favorite and most inspiring photographers was relatively easy for me. Though there are many names to choose from, there are a few that truly shaped my vision early in my development, and gave me a model that epitomized how I felt about nature and how I wanted to share that passion with others. I could see and appreciate their dedication and commitment, and knew instinctively it was the path I wanted to follow as a creative artist. Never before had I felt so sure about what was important to me, and how I wanted to experience and share the beauty of nature. Here are my picks:

• David Meunch - I had been inspired and awed by his landscape images before I even knew who he was. His technique and style has inspired countless others including myself, and I’ve learned a great deal from his photography as well as his philosophy. In his words: “For me, making photographs is always a total and continuing involvement. Underlying my need for expression of a spirit of the land are certain patterns of discovery and exploration. Intense creative awareness, along with the patience in waiting for dramatic forms of sun and shadow, unusual light, or a decisive moment of mood, challenge my mind’s eye toward achieving, what I like to call, a timeless moment.” Browse any photography book on the national parks, and you’re sure to see one of David’s incredible photographs. Now in his 70’s, and still producing great work.
• Galen Rowell - another inspiration for me in the sense that he combined photography with adventure, Galen was a mountaineer, explorer, writer, and great photographer. Author of one of my favorite books “The Inner Game of Outdoor Photography”, his writings have taught me about vision and emotion in photography, and his travels to remote and exotic locations around the globe inspired a whole generation of photographers.
• Ansel Adams - as much as I tried to think of another photographer, I kept coming back to Ansel for opening my mind to the creative possibilities of black and white, and his expansive work on his favorite location, Yosemite National Park. His involvement in group F64, a loose knit group of photographers who believed in “straight photography“, played a leading role in getting photography accepted as a valid art form. If it wasn’t for Ansel, we might not have all of the wonderful national parks around the country to enjoy, and photograph. Definitely a “desert island” photographer if there ever was one.

Perhaps this list will change with time as I myself evolve and grow as a photographer, but somehow I think the images made by these pioneers will always have an impression on my own work.

I spent the weekend in the Catskill Mountains, visiting many of the same scenes and locations made famous in the middle of the nineteenth century by the painters of the Hudson River School. Painters such as Thomas Cole, Asher B. Durand, Federic Church, and Albert Bierstadt drew inspiration from this popular region, and their landscape paintings depicteing the beauty of light and color were unlike anything ever seen before. I visited the site of the famous Catskill Mountain House, now a national landmark, and hiked the Escarpment trail to famous landmarks such as Artist Rock and Sunset Rock.
Though I followed my regular practice of scouting locations and hitting the trails well before sunrise, I didn’t have much success creating images that were compelling to me. A combination of cloudless skies, lack of familiarity with the area, and bad timing didn’t provide the conditions that I seek out in a dramatic scene. Usually when this happens, I don’t get discouraged, but rather focus on the “intimate” landscape, and try to capture the small features of nature that we often literally step over without taking notice. On the last morning shoot, I hike to the summit of Plateau Mountain, a very strenuous climb gaining 1600 feet in about 1 mile. Once I caught my breath, I found myself in a beautiful coniferous forest reminiscent of coastal Maine. Focusing on the forest floor, I was inspired by all of the color and texture, and made this image which I felt conveyed the “feel” of this unique area. It reminds me that looking within the landscape can be just as interesting as the grand view, and provides an opportunity to push myself creatively.

My current printers are a Epson R2400 and Canon ipf5000, and I purchase a lot of paper (and ink, but that’s another issue). The selection of papers is staggering these days, with more choices becoming available faster than I can keep up. I’ve done a significant amount of printing recently, needing many prints for the art shows I was exhibiting in this year, as well as two galleries that are carrying my photography. This is in addition to my normal printing for customers, so I’ve had a chance to try a bunch of different papers and here are some of my impressions and preferences.

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