Recently finished David Ward’s Landscape Beyond: A Journey into photography, which I can’t recommend more highly.
Most photography books focus on the how, in-camera technique, exposure etc. Not this one, in fact David Ward barely mentions any technical aspect in this devotion to the making of landscape images.
David Ward | Landscape Beyond
In Landscape Beyond, Ward talks about the making of landscape images using the creation of mystery and the incongruity to enrich images and captivate viewers. His technique, if indeed Ward is trying to teach one, is to question of your approach and aims, to look for mystery and simplicity in the landscape to document in order to create more novel and unique images.
Throughout his discussion Ward seamlessly, and eloquently, moves between references to philosophy, art history, quotes from past photographic masters, and his own philosophy without pretention or confusing the reader. He’s clearly a learned fellow.
The key outake of Landscape Beyond is thinking. About what you shoot, your choice of locations, how you behave on location, the why of your images, and how to make better images when in the field by changing the way you look at the landscape. I found it challenged some of my own thoughts and practices, giving my plenty of food for thought next time I head out the door.
The net result will mean shooting less, but with more in depth analysis of what’s in front of you, at least for me. But I don’t see that as negative, far from it. Reading this has I hoped altered my approach and should make for more emotive, evocative and unique images over the coming year — I hope.
Check out more of David Ward’s work.
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Hi, there thank’s concerning the book review. Sounds like it could be a gripping read.