Just ran quickly into B&N (thank god they still exist), and happened upon Shore’s “Elements”. A LF book with few examples, mostly of quiet, unobtrusive color landscapes, symmetrical, and mostly with centered prominent objects/subjects. A few humans scattered.
Saturation has been viciously reduced just short of monochrome, subtle hues, a throwback to Meyerwitz' Cape Light but with perhaps a notion of non-solipsism. Sparse and elemental may be a more proper description. Low contrast throughout, suggesting color negative film in dull overcast light, throwing virtually no shadows.
The “scheme” is in stark contrast to the ridiculously over saturated landscapes we can’t seem to escape on Flickr, Instagram etc. Rather, a relatively thin sampling of images in this “genre”, I would have preferred a book which 2 sections, the first with Elements, the 2nd a selection from”Details”, a series of images taken with his first MF digital, a Hasselblad X1D. Though there may have been some promulgation of the camera’s use at the behest of the manufacturer, much of his latter work are images regarder pres de les pied, paysages j’allais fair marcher sur.
This new book is iconoclastic in its approach and appears somewhat purposeless other than to show how unvivid LF images can be printed.
However, it may be considered evolutionarily instructive in the life of a once trend setting social photographer who finds equal comfort in finding a distinctive LF approach, whether in city, country or open space, but with age is departing from the prowess of the ego, and depicting his now life in fading elements. The images if I recall correctly are mostly from the 80s, so interesting how he has chosen these to present now.
The book is worth an interview of the photographer.
Bookmarks