Photography book - Galen Rowell's "Vision: The Art of Adventure Photography"

This is a book that I bought and read almost fifteen years ago (the paperback version that I have was published in 1995). Living at that time in a large and congested city, Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, I especially valued weekend trips away along the coast or up into the mountains. There were plenty of fascinating places and people to photograph and each trip was a small adventure into the unknown. It was in this context that Galen Rowell's photography particularly appealed to me.

The most important idea that I gleaned from this book at that time was that it is essential to move around to find the most appropriate viewpoint for a subject. Second, the importance of using the morning and afternoon light. One of his comments that I picked out this time is "Zealots get things done - need to accept discomfort to get the best photos."

I have been reading this book again over the past few months. It is a collection of magazine articles and essays on four themes, which I have summarized as:

- the importance of vision, truth and style in photography

- techniques relating to equipment, film, work flow etc.

- ethics and issues that arise for a photographer working in far flung places

- photography as a means to influence public opinion

The section on use of equipment and film available in the 90's is of limited interest as a result of digital technology. The other articles remain interesting today, and the photographs are fabulous, even in the paperback version of the book.

In the context of my current position as a student on The Art of Photography course the points of interest that I noted from the book are as follows (not in any particular order):-

• A large number of the photographs are landscapes, but I was surprised to find that in many of these, he used people (less often animals or trees) in the foreground to create a sense of scale.
• He was adept at using colour and form to create drama in his photographs, for example twilight skies, alpenglow on high peaks, silhouettes.
• On exposure, expose for the most important highlight (my italics)
• His minimum equipment for mobility were: 24 mm prime lens, 85 mm prime lens, graduated neutral density filters, flash, light but strong tripod. (This maybe explains why my 18-70mm zoom lens is the one that I use the most when out and about.)

Several of the articles deal with some nature photographers' dilemmas:

• By photographing a natural place, a photographer may be encouraging further destruction of the wilderness. On the other hand, without communication, no-one may care whether a natural place is ruined.
• Should the photographer be strictly an impartial observer or should he participate?
• What is good practice regarding "truth" of photography and "manipulated" photographs.

In relation to borderline between "Nature" and manipulated photography, Galen refers to an editorial classification for photojournalism:-

• "Manipulated" - cannot be used for photojournalism e.g. cloning something out of a photograph. (I read that even cloning out a foot not essential to a scene disqualified a photograph from a press award recently)
• "Contrived" - manipulation of setting e.g re-staging of real event
• "Controlled" - undisturbed setting, but photographer influences the scene e.g. "hold that pose"
• "Found" - record of the scene as it would have been without the photographers presence

The "Found" classification is a similar standard to that which should apply to Nature Photography. Galen goes on to suggest refining this "Found" category to distinguish the quality of the artistic input of the photographer:-

• "Snapped" - technically good photograph but no forethought
• "Pre-visualized" - conscious composition of scenic photograph as found
• "Pre-conceptualized" - active intention to capture a "found" scene in a particular way e.g. to return in a different light
• "Created" - image visualized and then location researched and found.

I do not feel that this classification has much practical use. Nevertheless I was interested as this analysis might describe the steps required to successfully complete the Art of Photography course.

At the start most of my photographs would fall within the "Snapped" group.

Half way through the course, I am much more conscious of trying to achieve an interesting composition of contrast, form and colour - "Previsualized".

By the end of the course, I will hopefully have gained some ability to "pre-conceptualize" or even "create" a photograph of a natural scene, a person, or an event.

On a different subject, I think that, subconsciously, this sort of analysis underlies my lack of desire and distaste for photography of captive animals. The images taken by some members of my local photography club at such places are stunning. I love photographs of natural creatures, but I feel that a distant photograph of a bird or animal in its natural habitat is far more valuable than a photogenic close up of a captive animal. My concern is that if photographers and viewers become overly accustomed to the detailed photographs of captive animals, pictures taken in a natural habitat which lack the equivalent lighting and detail become devalued and appear to be second rate.