In the middle of our walk of life, I found myself within a forest dark, for the straightforward pathway had been lost.~Dante, The Divine Comedy Since the early days of storytelling, the forest has provided a fitting metaphor for a variety of topics. It's an environment over which we have limited control. It's a place that can be obscure and barely accessible. It serves as a symbol for a journey into the subconscious, for growing up and personal development. As such it is a popular and strong theme in all the arts, that never seems to lose its impact or substance. The dark wood is a venue for d ..read more

Click here to download issue 301 (high quality, 96Mb) Click here to download issue 301 (smaller download, 56Mb) The post Issue 301 appeared first on On Landscape ..read more

Just as this butter knife incises and illuminates a dark Venetian canal, so did Venice illuminate our world. Since its founding in the 6th century as the Republic of Venice, this city became a major financial and maritime power during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, an important centre of commerce, art and music, and a rich merchant republic. And of course, today, it remains an urban or street photographer’s paradise. As with many of the best images, the sense of mystery and ambiguity in this image invites the viewer to engage with the image and to ask questions of it, all of which enhances t ..read more

This past summer, I embarked on a 35-day journey to hike 500 miles and climb 30 mountains along the Colorado Trail. On this journey, I spent a great deal of time reflecting on the meaning of life, how to find a greater purpose and other heavy philosophical questions. I also tried to find a way to think through how, if at all, photography intersects with such existential pondering. One conclusion I stumbled upon was that photography can be a fantastic gateway and vehicle through which these questions can be answered for each person if one chooses. The subject of today’s essay embodies this idea ..read more

By the 19th Century, Sheffield’s rapid industrial expansion stimulated population growth, calling for a reliable water source to provide power for industry and to improve sanitation for residents, many of whom lived in squalid shared housing. Consequently, an ambitious programme of reservoir construction was undertaken. The Dale Dyke dam excavations began on 1st January 1859. On the evening of 11th March 1864, during a violent storm, a crack was spotted in the embankment of the recently completed Dale Dyke dam. The resident engineer, John Gunson, was summoned to inspect the now widening fissur ..read more

When I reached out to Peter earlier this year, he was just heading off to Norway, closely followed by what was described as one of the strongest storms to hit the country in several decades; winter travel always has the potential to surprise. This all seems a marked contrast with the body of work that caused me to approach him: quiet, softly lit, images of his Ireland. I always like to select images from a photographer’s home ground, irrespective of where their adventures may take them - it’s where I think we most reveal our individuality - and in recent years it feels like moments of calm are ..read more

on the mountain crests a line of wild geese and the moon’s seal Yosa Boson a clear waterfall – into the ripples fall green pine-needles Matsuo Bashō1 In a recent article for On Landscape (A little piece of Eden), I included three short poems about Mallerstang written during the Covid lockdown to accompany the abstract images of water. These were examples of the haiku form that originated in Japan. I am sure that many of the minimalist landscape photographers amongst you will already have looked at the application of some traditional Japanese belief frames such as Zen, concepts such as wabi sab ..read more

How a lost wedding ring, an innkeeper and perseverance cut through the fog of loss & reminded me that when creative inspiration leaves, a journey along the timeline from lost to found remains though likely veiled and unseen. Elation welled up in me as I spotted, glinting in the bright midday sun, nestled in a sandy rut, the shimmering, threadlike golden crescent of metal, nearly the colour of the sand that cradled it. That sandy rut was one of a pair that, together, carved a road of sorts. That road bisected the swath of land that lay under a length of a high-voltage power lines. A strip o ..read more

Click here to download issue 300 (high quality, 76Mb) Click here to download issue 300 (smaller download, 40Mb) The post Issue 300 appeared first on On Landscape ..read more

For our 300th issue, we wanted to revisit one of our favourite photographers and someone who contributes a great deal to the landscape photography world, Sandra Bartocha. I've always been an admirer of Sandra's work and we've worked together a few times including when she gave a talk at our conference in 2018 and when she helped us as a judge for the Natural Landscape Photography Awards. I'd highly recommend getting a copy of either "LYS" or her more recent book, "Rhythm of Nature". ___ Since Michela last interviewed you in 2016, what has changed or evolved in your photography journey, or wha ..read more