Don’t you think travel and landscape photography you see from many photographers, look mostly similar. I also feel, sometimes they are glorified version of the reality. In addition, the extensive editing process makes it even more unrealistic. Having said that, I feel every photographer has the leeway to depict their work however they want. But, once all of it is done and a photograph is published, when I see a portfolio, I always try to look for his/her induvial style, the common thread that runs through most of their pictures, if not all.
Unfortunately, it has become increasingly difficult to find such photographers whose work stand out among several other good photographers, not only in terms of quality, but also as an artistic style which is probably very unique to them. I am talking about the style which is very subtle yet very apparent for the viewers who has an eye for details. In this post, I am going to share five landscape photographers whose work I find truly inspiring and artistic.
Jerad Armijo
Website: www.awayiflew.com
Jerad is a terrific landscape photographer from Portland. I came to know about him very recently when I heard him speaking in a session on Club House. Every piece of his work is a true form of art inspired by some of the great art movements of the history like minimalism, realism and sometimes surrealism. In particular, his choice of pastel colours to make these landscape photographs impressed me the most. The other interesting part is, his work is often influenced by the music he listens to.
Interviews: Matt Payne / Voyage LA / David Johnston
Awards: International Photo Awards
“My experience with chromesthesia means that I am able to harness colour to create delicate, light and compositionally balanced art. I often strive to find otherworldly, desolate, and surreal scenes with peculiar colors which I use to express my life’s journey.”
— Jerad Armijo
“I always try to include a piece of me in the scenery–you’ll know when I’m happy or sad, which is important to me in growing as a human and as a photographer. I strive to look for new perspectives utilizing color, shape, light and shadows to further my creative eye and bring a new beauty to any location.”
– Jerad Armijo
Tara Workman
Other than being an excellent photographer, Tara is also an ardent nature lover and lives in Portland. I came to know about her in the same Club House session in which both Jerad and Tara were panellists. Every piece of her photography artwork has one thing in common, interesting patterns found in nature. Her work is consistently inspiring and her style a true reflection of her artistic instincts.
Interviews: Matt Payne / David Johnston
“With the complexities of life I tend to crave simplicity. There’s something uniquely satisfying about creating something beautiful from unassuming subjects..”
— Tara Workman
Stian Klo
Website: www.stianklo.com
Stian is an award-winning fine art nature and landscape photographer from Norway with his work published and featured on Apple, Nat Geo, Disney, TIME, BBC and Lonely Planet. When he picked up his first proper camera in 2010, he tried everything before eventually sticking to outdoor photography. He spent hours and hours on tutorials and e-books, studied non-stop before heading out to implement and practice his learnings and techniques. It was not success at first attempt but he remained consistent, patient and focused on perfecting his craft.
Interviews: Capture Landscapes / Northern Lights Optic / Aperture Academy
“To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place… I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.”
— Elliott Erwitt
“Be consistent and produce quality instead of quantity. Don’t let the chase for fame, likes and freebies be your main focus. Take your time, perfect your craft and find “your” own niche. Patience is a virtue they say, clichè – but couldn’t be more true!”
– Stian Klo
Michael Shainblum
Website: www.shainblumphoto.com
Michael specializes in landscapes, time-lapse and aerial photography. His time-lapse videos and aerial films are simply awe-inspiring. His dedication to challenging the boundaries and coming up with unique and creative ideas, have been rewarded with commissioned work from elite clients like Nike, Samsung, Facebook, LG, Apple, Google, BMW, Jeep and Disney. His work has been published and featured by National Geographic, Wired Magazine, and The Weather Channel. The work of Michael Kenna, Art Wolfe and Jerry Uelsmann have always been a great inspiration for him.
Interviews: Iceland Photo Tours / Ways We Work
Learn: Workshops / Tutorials / Post “How I Create Minimalist Landscape Photography“
“I would say on a personal standpoint that when I am taking my photographs, I am always trying to think of my images as galleries or collections, or different projects that I have in mind. It’s never really a singular image… it’s usually part of a bigger story that I want to produce.”
— Michael Shainblum
Erin Babnik
Website: www.erinbabnik.com
Erin is not only an illustrious landscape photographer, but also a prolific artist, educator, writer and speaker. Her approaches to composition, visual storytelling, and post-processing has been deeply influenced by her background as an art historian. Erin is also honoured with ‘Canon Explorer of Light‘ and is also a member of prestigious nature photography team of Photo Cascadia.
Interviews: here / Exploring Light (Jassi Oberai) / Iceland Photo Tour / Light Minded / Capture Landscapes / David Johnston
Learn: Workshops / Reading & Viewing List
“Exploration is the key to creativity. The more that you find to photograph, the more that you find yourself.”
— Erin Babnik
In addition to the above list, you may also follow the following landscape photographers whose work I find amazing:
Mikko Lagerstedt, Tobias Hägg, Martina Gebarovska, Cath Simard, Isabella Tabacchi, Rohan Reilly, Elizabeth Gadd, Mads Peter Iversen, Tony Hunter, Hengki Koentjoro
“Wherever you go, you have to bring your own sunshine. In other words, the one constant in traveling is always your own self, and you get out of any experience what you bring to it. So it’s important to have a positive attitude, to be respectful of different places and the people in them, and to enjoy the great privilege of traveling for the totality of what each experience has to offer.”
– Erin Babnik
Creative Genes 