Kansas

Recently I took the camera for a stroll, and came back with some nice imagery of the Kansas landscape. I have been doing a lot of reading of late, and viewing photographs from the masters of still photography. Specifically Edward Weston, and Bill Brandt. I have been a big fan of Edward's work for many years, dating back to when I first learned of Ansel Adams. Ansel and Edward were probably the most influential photographers of their time. Ansel's work was much more in the main stream, however Edward's work excited me even more. Adams and Weston were the two A list names of the f/64 group. Bill Brandt is a name I have only recently become aware of. I purchased John Zarkowski's book entitled, "The Photographer's Eye," and noticed some of Bill's work there.

I started looking on the Internet for more about Bill, and came across the following quote, which I very much relate to in my work -

"I am not interested in rules and conventions ... photography is not a sport. If I think a picture will look better brilliantly lit, I use lights, or even flash. It is the result that counts, no matter how it was achieved. I find the darkroom work most important, as I can finish the composition of a picture only under the enlarger. I do not understand why this is supposed to interfere with the truth. Photographers should follow their own judgment, and not the fads and dictates of others."

One thing I have noticed about these masters, is the fact that they are able to cover multiple genres. Edward Weston went from landscapes, to still life, to nudes, without skipping a beat. Bill Brandt also mentions this in his interviews. I do like the idea of dabbling in a wider array of subjects. These Kansas images are a pretty stark contrast to the twisted turbines of the past few years.