Interview with Michael Kenna

[Donald]

I suspect a number of members have already seen it, but there is a new online interview just published featuring landscape photographer Michael Kenna. I am a big fan of his. The interview is at - http://www.curiousanimal.com/michael-kenna/

I've seen and heard his words (in interviews, etc.,) before and have always been struck by the fact that what he says so very much reflects my own thoughts and feelings. But this has never been more the case than in his answer to the first question put to him (apart from the second last sentence ... more's the pity!). I know I never feel more alive than when I'm out on my own with the camera in the silent landscape.


Looking at your photographs, I thought about fishermen who really just want to sit by a river with their thoughts and catching fish is the excuse to do that. Is part of your photography about wanting to be out in the landscape alone at night or early in the morning?
It’s almost identical. Often fishermen fish and then throw them back, and I’ve often said that I could happily be a photographer with no film in my camera. There’s something extremely therapeutic about the solitary process of wandering around in beautiful circumstances, early in the morning or at night, alone. You feel alive. It instils an incredible appreciation of our lives and our world. I’m a photographer, that’s my profession. But even if I was doing something else, I’d be happy to go off on my own, hiking, and to spend time watching, looking and just being.

[Mike Buckley]

That answer that you posted is very much in line with my thoughts, though I wouldn't go so far as to say that I would be happy to be a photographer with no film in my camera. I am happy to be out and about with no camera or seeing scenery when for whatever reason I'm not motivated to use my camera. As an example, when I go on vacation, experiencing whatever I'm seeing is far more important than photographing it.

[NorthernFocus]

That's awesome, Donald. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.

Personally I find that nature photography enhances the experience. One has to pay close attention to details that might otherwise go unnoticed, look at things from different angles, etc. One reason that my file cataloging is so poor is because every time I sit down to do some catch up/clean up, I get immersed in looking at photos and reliving the experience. I have hundreds if not thousands of photos that I can recall the smallest details of the location, the weather at the time, etc. I guess one could argue that in my case photography is the escape that keeps on running