Following up on some of the feedback I received from the Surfaces and Strategies module I decided to undertake some research of contemporary landscape photographers.   I was looking in particular, for those where I could seek inspiration and development in my own photographic practice. Although, I have also included the work of Frances Seward which is colourful and abstract which is a long way from my current work.

Todd Hido

 The work of Todd Hido is interesting, and in particular his work entitled A Road Divided which has a similar subject matter to my project The Road to Elgol. As you can see from the four images I have chosen below he takes his images through the windscreen of his car.

This flies in the face of work I have undertaken recently which has been to stray further from the Road and focus on detailed aspects of the landscape. However, it is an interesting approach and one I might find very attractive as the Skye winter sets in and the weather worsens particularly through January and February.

I enjoy the dark and mysterious feeling about these images and the strong use of trees to provide interesting shapes along the journey.  I particularly like the first and last image that clearly include the road itself, giving a sense of place, and those that are distorted by the raindrops on the car windscreen.  These images, for me, give a sense of what it was like to travel that road, and it is easy to imagine being there with the author.  However, there is also a sense of hopelessness that maybe this is not an easy journey.

Adam Jeppesen

Another photographer that focuses on journeys and sometimes on the loneliness of travelling is Adam Jeppesen.  However, from my perspective I found images of how he chooses to display his work more interesting.

I have given a lot of thought to how I might display work for my Final Major Project and I find all of these examples inspiring.  It has been suggested to me that my work might be displayed as super-sized images such as those in Image 3 above and I also like the split large format of Image 4.  Alternatively, the panel of smaller images in Image 1 also appeals as a way of displaying some of my more detailed work such as my current Work in Progress Portfolio on the Reeds of Loch Cill Chriosd.

Frances Seward

In many ways the images of Frances Seward are poles apart from my current landscape work.  However, I find them very compelling and love the Turner-esque feeling and painterly aesthetic.  I also love the intense colour she achieves and the fact that although the images are very abstract you can determine where the images might have been taken.  I particularly like the final image which has a real sense of movement and momentum.

Mitch Dobrowner

I am fascinated by storms and this is the subject matter that Mitch Dobrowner is known for.

I love the drama in his images.  The many layers in the skies and clouds have been expertly rendered and he often gives a sense of the terrain over which the storm is brewing – for example in Image 2 above.  I am captivated by the skies over The Cuillin in Skye and the way the clouds change in an instant.  I like to capture the tops of the mountains in my images to give a sense of place.

Seeing this work has inspired me to try to capture some of the storms that will hit the Isle of Skye over the winter period.

This research has been interesting for me and has widened my understanding of the different approaches and aesthetics contemporary landscape photographers are using.  Whilst I have inevitably chosen work that is interesting to me and my subject matter for my Research Project it has been a helpful exercise and one that I will undertake more routinely in future.