End frame: Metamorphosis by Alister Benn

Neil Jolly

Photography has long been one of Neil's passions. He started taking, and developing, photographs around the age of 10 (and is well over that age now). Neil can often be found, wandering the backcountry of the Canadian Rockies in search of his next photo opportunity, riding through the foothills on his horse Jackson, or playing his guitar as loud as he can get away with.

foothillsphoto.ca

With great trepidation, I accepted the assignment to do an End Frame for On Landscape. I agonised for some time over what image would be considered my favourite and came to the conclusion that there have been many favourite influential images for me over the years. One I remain enamoured with, as much today as the first moment I saw it, is Metamorphosis by Alister Benn.

Metamorphosis is a dark, brooding, image that is, beautifully composed and technically excellent, as is typical of Alister’s work. Looking at the image I think one of the things that grabbed my attention immediately is the exotic seaside location. Since my own home base has been the Canadian Rockies for many years now a dark granite channel on the coast of Cornwall is, to me, exotic. The very location exudes danger and I suspect is not a place you want to be in a storm. The water worn rock speaks of centuries of weathering storms and evokes the scent of sea. When I view Metamorphosis, I can smell the brine, decaying organisms, hear the roar of the sea and feel the ocean spray on my face.