Be Prepared

David Ward

T-shirt winning landscape photographer, one time carpenter, full-time workshop leader and occasional author who does all his own decorating.

davidward.photo

It pains me to admit it but I’ve known Joe Cornish for almost thirty years now (it probably pains him more to admit that he’s known me that long!) and for as long as I can remember he has espoused the view that the very best landscape photographs come from knowing one’s subjects intimately. He holds the view that repeated visits to a location – even better if it is on your doorstep as Roseberry Topping, Saltwick Bay, Staithes and so many other wonderful features of the Yorkshire landscape are for Joe – will pay dividends in the graphic quality and visual incisiveness of the images one makes. For him, each subsequent visit helps prepare one to make better images

Perhaps perversely, in the face of a wealth of evidence comprising innumerable great images made by Joe on “the point of return”, I take the opposite view. I feel that my best images have often been made on the first visit to a location and that subsequent visits have usually, but not always produced inferior results. The question is; why might these diametrically opposed positions hold true?