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Take the Other
As I came to know the places Abbey wrote about, I also came to appreciate how well he expressed their intimate, personal significance, which may not be obvious or even relatable to those who don’t have this in-person familiarity. more
7 ways to reduce our environmental impact as landscape photographers
After the hottest and driest summer ever in Europe, with countless forest fires, crop failures and withered landscapes, I do think that we landscape photographers should take a more critical look at our own impact and do more to actually keep the balance positive more
Past masters and expressive photography
What motivated a group of landscape painters to relocate to the tiny village of Barbizon in France and relentlessly paint there for most of their lives? Why did they fight to institute an “artistic reserve”, the first protected natural area in the world? more
Interesting Things
Throughout an individual’s journey with photography, they may find themselves stuck in a routinistic life where they are *taking* aesthetically beautiful photographs of aesthetically beautiful things, not thinking much at all about the deeper meaning behind their creations. more
Existence Precedes Essence
Man is condemned to be free. Condemned, because he did not create himself, yet is nevertheless at liberty, and from the moment that he is thrown into the world he is responsible for everything else he does.~ Jean-Paul Sartre One might expect that the philosophy of Søren Kierkegaard (a devout Christian) and the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche (famous for asserting that God is dead) more
Ski-ing the John Muir Trail
During the winter of 1979, my friend Jim Keating and I skied the John Muir Trail from Mount Whitney to Yosemite Valley. The 211-mile-long trip took us 33 days. more
Project European Canyons
The unknown of European canyons was one of the main reasons for me to start a new book project on this subject a few years ago, besides my fascination for (the power of) flowing water, my interest in mountains, rocks and geology and my love for rough, unspoilt nature. more
Save Yourself
If nothing else, with such things at stake as avoiding suffering and living a more meaningful life, at least consider the possibility that whatever value you may get from photography today may pale in comparison with other kinds of value available to you. more
Past Masters and expressive photography
There are people who collect beautiful pictures of views in an attempt to make pretty pictures and those who explore further and try to express themselves through photography. more
Art vs. Craft
Sticking with the music analogy, I have seen videos on Youtube of musicians performing song covers on their respective instruments. That these people are talented is without question, they hit all the right notes. But, that alone does not make them artists. more
Limpets in the Landscape
Although limpets are widespread and can be easily observed at low tide in many places along the Atlantic coast of Europe, the life of limpets is completely unknown to most people. more
Past Masters and expressive photography
In this second part, I'm going to explore their thoughts on perfection and on influences. To see how their mature thinking can be applied to our approach towards expressive photography. more
Transcendent Forms and Noble Lies
I wrote this article as a possible first in a series themed “Philosophy for Photographers.” My hope is that it might help photographic artists understand photography in the greater context of historical thinking about art. more
The Prospect of Happiness
Mostly this has to do with the idea that happiness is a relative state, rather than absolute. In this, it is meant that happiness may only be brought about by alternative factors in life, rather than life itself bringing about happiness. more
Classical Photographers and Jazz Photographers
Ansel Adams spent much of his early years training to become a classical pianist. He often mused about the ways his musical training has influenced his photography. more