I enjoy creating intimate landscapes immensely, those small scenes that comprise found objects and arrangements. The better the end product however, the more likely it is to precipitate the range of questions to do with asking or suggesting that the items had been placed or rearranged. The questions range from pure inquisitiveness to peevishness and those that are no less than accusatory and derogatory by implication.
The context is made complex by the fact that a number of photographers take pleasure in creating such scenes and this extends even to taking items with them to place in the landscape. I’m not sure what percentage of yellow autumn leaves on rocks by waterfalls are in this category but I know there are some. I have nothing against such a practice, it isn't my way however.
Such questions miss, what for me, is not just the greater part of the process but the very heart of the process.
Such images, for me, are not made in order to demonstrate a measure of technical skill nor to exemplify a personal vision. They are made to record my undying and endless amazement at the beauty that nature creates by random action and arrangement.
The joy is not so much the making of the image but much more to find such delights placed by the forces of nature. One needs to have eyes that can see such things and a soul that appreciates such simple beauties but the artist is the randomness and the processes of nature. My eye can recognise such chance combinations but creatively I lack the necessary vision to create such scenes.
The image is created however as the 3 dimensional placements often require the conversion to 2 dimensions in order to fully realise what may be perceived.
Finding such beauty takes time of course and those who arrive at a location with another 3 or 4 places to tick off that day are unlikely to feel successful. Choose a place and give the day to it, only after time does it start to show its secrets.
