Robert Glenn Ketchum is a both a political/environmental activist and a photographer, always uses this second medium (photography) to highlight the first. When Ketchum goes out to capture a scene, particularly a landscape, he is always looking for ways to make a statement with his photographs and tell a story about the land and it's inhabitants. Perfecting his craft, Ketchum strives to find ways to demonstrate his thoughts through his photographs, which he does intentionally to spark interest in the topic of conservation and preservation.
Both photos that I have chosen to talk about are ariel photos, which to me is a very interesting medium. Ketchum basically takes slices out of the landscape and fits them in a frame just right to where the beauty and composition of the photo overtake you. This first photo (below) relies heavily on color composition. We see strong primary contrast throughout the image and the way that the river runs through the center of the frame and out to the right really leads your eye through the entire image. Ketchum considers these intricacies carefully while photographing to create the most interesting scene possible. The shapes and forms that the land starts to take when you slice out a piece like this becomes a very interesting subject as well. Just look at the way the trees on the right and left side form a wall in red for the blue river to run in the center of a yellow land mass. The intuition to capture a scene like this is truly remarkable.
If you thought that Ketchum only could make an interesting image with many colors, think again. This second image (below) is a great example of an almost monochromatic image with one area of color (the green pond or puddle). Ketchum wants us to focus on that slimy green pond, then back at the wildlife, then back at the pond. The interesting texture of the ground provides a cohesiveness throughout the image that may have been lost if the ground had the same tonal qualities. This is an image that has to be viewed up close, or possibly on an extremely large scale, to observe all of the little details. The composition is great again, with the wildlife placed carefully in a third and the pond in another third. Ketchum truly is a master of the landscape and its form.
Not only does Ketchum want us to view a beautiful image. He is making a statement. Look at these photos and you can see that this man has a love for the nature around him and wants us to do our part to conserve it. Even if you had no interest in the topic, Ketchum's photographs may make you start to think about such things, just because of the imagery.
Richard Misrach
Richard Misrach is another landscape photographer, but he has a quite different approach to photographing the landscape around him. Instead of focusing on the natural beauty and how it is our job to conserve it, he focuses on how humans have changed the landscape. Misrach is not necessarily telling us that the landscape has been ruined by humankind, but rather is documenting the fact that we are a part of nature, and we create it every day.
This first photograph (below) is interesting in a few ways, both technical and conceptual. First off, the use of flash in this photo is obvious, but the way that Misrach used the existing light behind the subject in conjunction with the light from his flash is quite interesting. If he were to have exposed the subject just with the flash, the sky behind it would have gone black, but if he had exposed without the use of a flash bulb, then the bush would not be lit up at all, or simply dim in the frame. Just the way that the flash is used in this scene is showing humans involvement in nature. This is as if Misrach is wanting you to know that HE was at this place and HE took this photo and made it his own. Technically, the use of the flash and the monochromatic aspects of this frame are both very intriguing and well done. It is an interesting image that one may want to observe over and over.
This second image (below) is quite unique and is my favorite of the two. The contrast of the cool colors in the sky and the warm colors in the foreground mixed with the ruggedness of the foreground and the calm, pastel, angelic background is one that few have achieved. Misrach really struck gold on this image by finding a scene of how humanity changed the environment. At the same time, the way that the human interaction has intertwined with the existing elements of light and color is extraordinary and beautiful. Had this photo been taken at a different time of day or a different weather condition, it would not have been nearly as successful. What is the statement that Misrach is trying to make? To me, it is a bit unclear. If he was trying to imply that humans have destroyed the landscape and made it ugly, I would have to disagree with him. On the other hand, if he is showing us the way that even unintentionally we can make the areas around us different and unique, I would completely agree with him. In all honesty, this is an image that I have a hard time turning away from. The coolness and serenity of the water and sky pull you in, and then the abandoned pool keeps you there, completely enthralled with its details and colors.
After looking at Misrach's images and thinking about what he is trying to do with them, I am actually very inspired to look for similar scenes to photograph. More often than not, when reading about photographers, I understand where they are coming from, but have no desire to pursue that kind of imagery. Unlike other photographers, Misrach is one that I would love to emulate. Taking the foundation of what he is showing me and combining that with my own experiences and locations could lead to several very strong images.
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