Beauty in Landscape Photography: Fine Art Prints

Article by Chris Robertson

Nowhere is the phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words” more true than in relation to landscape photography. Photography itself is less than 200 years old. In fact the term “photography,” which most people take for granted, was not coined until 1839. Landscape photography provided people with windows to distant worlds and cultures they would otherwise not be able to experience.

Land formations and natural wonders inspired early landscape photographers. Photos of the gold rush in the American west showed gold miners panning for gold along streams in spectacular settings. In the 1920s Scottish-born Ansel Adams documented the American west with his photographs of some of the most rugged, beautiful and dramatic wilderness landscapes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the Grand Tetons, and other mountain ranges. Laura Gilpin traveled the southwest to record American landscapes throughout most of the 20th century.

Landscape photographs not only depict pastoral or dramatic natural scenes, they also record environmental, economic, and social change. John Davies, for examples, documents the changing face of Britain in the post-industrial age, while Andreas Gursky creates large-scale gritty images of urban scenes.

Modern landscape photographers continue to photograph the earth’s natural beauties, and they are expanding their realms. With high tech photographic equipment and processes they are exposing the public to the landscapes of the moon and areas under the sea. Just like the earliest landscape photographers, they show worlds most people will never see.

Landscape photography has become fashionable and highly prized by collectors in the 21st century. This renaissance of appreciation for landscape photography is best shown in the price of .9 million dollar paid in 2006 for a photo of a moonlit pond in New York State by the well-known 20th century artist Edward Steichen.

Fortunately, high quality fine art prints make it possible for everyday people to enjoy landscape prints at reasonable costs. When printed on archival photo paper the photographs retain their depth of color and purity of tones and have the look and feel of traditional photographs. C-type prints combine the modern technology of lasers and the wet process of traditional photography to create sharp and clear photographic images with no distortion.

When buying fine art prints, collectors, decorators, corporate buyers, and private individuals should look for prints that are signed, titled, dated, and number consecutively. A certificate of authenticity can verify the uniqueness of a print. A typical certificate will include a thumbnail image of the print; a description of where, when, and how the photograph was taken; and information on the materials and processes used.

Fine art prints of modern or traditional landscapes grace the walls of private homes, corporations, and institutions. It is hard to imagine a room or building without some sort of landscape pictures on the wall. Landscape photographs evoke feelings for special times and places. They can be moving, exciting or soothing, or just pleasing to the eye. They may include people or animals, or they may represent nature exclusively. Without a doubt, landscape photographs enhance any setting.

Painting and 19th century Photography

Article by Shaun K

The advent of the nineteenth century brought considerable changes to the art world. Paintings were becoming much less figurative and much more expressionist. At the same time, the medium of photography was in development. The style of photography was largely influenced by painting and in return painting was influenced by the new medium of photography.

Snowstorm: Hannibal and His Army Crossing the Alps is a painting by Joseph Mallord William Turner. It was completed in 1812 and is a work in the medium of oil on canvas. It is currently housed in the Tate Galeery in London, England. The piece itself is quite large, measuring at four feeet, nine inches by seven feet, nine inches in size.

Snowstorm: Hannibal and His Army Crossing the Alps is an excellent example of Joseph Mallord William Turner’s work, which was significantly less figurative then previous generations of artists. Joseph Mallord William Turner painted in such a free manner, that some of his paintings look like abstract works. In the case of Snowstorm: Hannibal and His Army Crossing the Alps, you first notice the color, movement, and emotion of the piece prior to noticing any figurative elements.

Joseph Mallord William Turner intentionally created such expressionist works. He really rejected underpaintings and accuracy of the landscape. Snowstorm: Hannibal and His Army Crossing the Alps was meant to add a romantic mood to the story of Hannibal crossing the Alps. It is believe that he intended the painting to be a commentary on the Napoleonic Wars, which were happening during his time.

While Joseph Mallord William Turner was taking liberties with painting in a more expressionist style, other mediums were developing. One of those new mediums for the nineteenth century was the advent of photography. On photographer in particular, Julia Margaret Cameron, created a photo title Portrait of Thomas Carlyle that in many ways mimicked the expressionist style of Joseph Mallord William Turner.

Portrait of Thomas Carlyle was taken in 1863. It is a silver print that is ten inches by eight inches. It is housed at the Royal Photographic Society in London, England. The subject of the photo is Thomas Carlyle, as the title alludes to. The photo is in black and white, which was standard for the time. In the photo, Thomas has a very stern, serious look on his face. He is an older gentleman and has light grey hair and a beard and mustache in a similar tone. He is wearing clothes that were considered more dressy for the time.

Portrait of Thomas Carlyle in many ways echoes Snowstorm: Hannibal and His Army Crossing the Alps due to the style the photo was taken in. The photo is slightly blurry and the rendering of the image is not the best. This is largely due to the camera technology that was present at the time, however stylistically it adds a fun twist that makes it more similar to a painting by Joseph Mallord William Turner.

While painting undoubtedly influenced photography, photography certainly influenced painting. This is evident with the advent of much more highly realistic works in painting. One such piece, Plowing in the Nivernais: The Dressing of the Vines is a work by Rosa Bonheur. It was created in the medium of oil paint over stretched canvas. It was completed in 1849. It is a very large piece, measuring at five feet, nine inches by eight feet, eight inches in size. It is housed at the Musee d’Orsay in Paris, France.

Plowing in the Nivernais: The Dressing of the Vines is a highly realistic piece that was undoubtedly influence by photography. The painting depicts a scene where a few ranchers are hearding cattle. The level of detail and accuracy within the painting is astounding. Rosa Bonheur was a large fan of writing and poetry and it is said that the inspiration for Plowing in the Nivernais: The Dressing of the Vines derived from a written piece.

Snowstorm: Hannibal and His Army Crossing the Alps, Portrait of Thomas Carlyle, Plowing in the Nivernais: The Dressing of the Vines are three wonderful works of art from the nineteenth century. Although two of the works were painting and one was photography, it is easy to see how one work influenced the next. Although painting and photography are significantly different mediums, these nineteenth century works show how one medium can play off the other.