I really like this guy's style:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/07/in_pictures_josef_hoflehner___landscape_photograph s/html/1.stm

Then you'll probably also like Michael Kenna.

And Rolfe Horne

And Michael Levin

And David Fokos

And David Burdeny

I Love Kenna & Horne & Hoflehner, but does anyone else think this all starts to look alike after a while?

um....yeah

Have a look at this (http://davidbram.blogspot.com/2006/12/photographic-style-robberyor-is-it.html)

yeh, i had a look David, you make a strong case

i'm sure these would not be the only examples, how many Weston wannabes are out there, how many LF shooters copy AA, how many Leica lovers think they have the same vision as HCB

so what is an original image/idea/concept?

has it all been done?

Ray

... and this one: Giedrius Varnas (http://www.giedriusvarnas.com/home.php)

yeh, i had a look David, you make a strong case

i'm sure these would not be the only examples, how many Weston wannabes are out there, how many LF shooters copy AA, how many Leica lovers think they have the same vision as HCB

so what is an original image/idea/concept?

has it all been done?

Ray

Yep, the similarities are striking between them all, however it's all still beautiful work, just all very similar. And I think at some point the similarities and sheer volume of people working in such a similar way will make that type of work seem cliche.

When it comes to landscape it is that it's all been done before, that doesn't mean though that you can't put your own style on it, or do it differently, or make sure that you are photographing special moments.

Yeah, but I sure wish mine looked more like theirs.

Can you explain why Hoflehner's work has that beautiful sheen and softness? I guess it's not an easy 1-step answer. Do meters give readings for such long exposures or does the knowledge mostly come with trial & error, and experience?

Beautiful, beautiful!

I think it's all Harry Callahan's fault ;). He produced minimalist images as long ago as 1950, as well as many other original ways of seeing photographically. In fact, Rolfe Horn made a 'graph that is an almost exact duplicate of a Callahan image of sand and sky of the same value with a dark sliver of ocean in the middle....only Horn's picture has tidier (no pun intended) sand.

I've also never seen so many poles in the water since I saw a photo of Zakrzowek Beach - Krakow, in Poland. :D OTOH, I've long since overdosed on Yosemite, slot canyons, monument valley, and the whole west coast diet of constantly reiterated icons. This too, shall pass.

Don't forget to burn in the corners!

Ahh... so the backlash has begun. So be it. It has been too long in coming. It actually began a while ago as the collecting world has already figured out. Kenna's work is conspicuously absent at the big expositions these days. I also have it from some dealer friends that his print sales have slowed considerably where once they could not sell them fast enough. Even some of his best prints go unsold on eBay though they are priced well below what his galleries charge. Where once he was the darling of dealers as well as their gravy train, things have changed. It is the natural course of things. What goes up, must come down. It was quite a phenomenon while it lasted. And, as I've said before, it couldn't have happened for a nicer guy.

As for me, You've (almost) all so far been very kind. Sometime I will post shots I did in the 70's and 80's... long before I heard of Kenna and his disciples. I've been true to myself all along, but It hasn't been easy with such a large shadow being cast. As deep as some people look, all you have to do is shoot square format in B&W to be a Kennabe. Hey... at least I stayed away from Japan like the rest of the herd! :)

As for influences Jovo, Callahan is a big one for me at least being that he was a fellow Detroiter and I gravitated toward that. His trees in the park shot as well as a little known one of a tangled thicket are perhaps some of the biggest influences on me. (burned corners and all Vinny) Other big ones for me are Karl Struss, Edward Steichen, Alvin Langdon Coburn among others of that time. (they burned corners too.. as did Adams, Weston, Bullock, etc.)

As for Kenna, go to Bill Brandt He's made it no secret that he is one of his big influences. Like many of the Kennabes, he too went to the places his hero shot. Even named a couple for him I think?

So it goes fellas... get to work. You too could be the next big thing.

Bill

BTW guys. Josef promotes himself here as "Manalishi (http://www.apug.org/forums/search.php?searchid=3190996)". Maybe he'll chime in on this one.

BTW guys. Josef promotes himself here as "Manalishi (http://www.apug.org/forums/search.php?searchid=3190996)". Maybe he'll chime in on this one.

Really???? Wow! That fellow has made several appearances here promoting Hoflehner's calendars (which are quite beautiful, but much too expensive for me.) for the last couple of years. I had no idea they were one and the same person.

Ahh... so the backlash has begun. So be it. It has been too long in coming.

It's time we rid photography of this stain. We should round up all the kennabees, put them in photographer re-education camps and smash their hasselblads ;).....or we could just go take some photographs and continue to have fun.

Regards,
John

It's time we rid photography of this stain.And while we're at it, round up all those Adams, Weston, Soth, Gursky, (insert name here), etc wannabes!

Oh... wait. Who would be left to buy film?

:D

This convergence is temporally correlative with Global Warming.

Ahh... so the backlash has begun. So be it. It has been too long in coming. It actually began a while ago as the collecting world has already figured out. Kenna's work is conspicuously absent at the big expositions these days. I also have it from some dealer friends that his print sales have slowed considerably where once they could not sell them fast enough. Even some of his best prints go unsold on eBay though they are priced well below what his galleries charge. Where once he was the darling of dealers as well as their gravy train, things have changed. It is the natural course of things. What goes up, must come down. It was quite a phenomenon while it lasted. And, as I've said before, it couldn't have happened for a nicer guy.

As for me, You've (almost) all so far been very kind. Sometime I will post shots I did in the 70's and 80's... long before I heard of Kenna and his disciples. I've been true to myself all along, but It hasn't been easy with such a large shadow being cast. As deep as some people look, all you have to do is shoot square format in B&W to be a Kennabe. Hey... at least I stayed away from Japan like the rest of the herd! :)

As for influences Jovo, Callahan is a big one for me at least being that he was a fellow Detroiter and I gravitated toward that. His trees in the park shot as well as a little known one of a tangled thicket are perhaps some of the biggest influences on me. (burned corners and all Vinny) Other big ones for me are Karl Struss, Edward Steichen, Alvin Langdon Coburn among others of that time. (they burned corners too.. as did Adams, Weston, Bullock, etc.)

As for Kenna, go to Bill Brandt He's made it no secret that he is one of his big influences. Like many of the Kennabes, he too went to the places his hero shot. Even named a couple for him I think?

So it goes fellas... get to work. You too could be the next big thing.

Bill

BTW guys. Josef promotes himself here as "Manalishi (http://www.apug.org/forums/search.php?searchid=3190996)". Maybe he'll chime in on this one.

Sorry Bill, but I'm definitely not Josef. However I'm from Austria as well. I know him and I am a fan - that's all. bold move Bill. tz......

M (stands for Michael)

<When it comes to landscape it is that it's all been done before, that doesn't mean though that you can't put your own style on it, or do it differently, or make sure that you are photographing special moments.<

No it hasn't all been done before. Photography's a babe in arms, not even weaned. There's no reason to keep iterating the same thing.

There are dozens and dozens of landscape photographers making the same boring, interchangeable pictures. So what. The same is true in every field of picture-making. Popular music -- lord, all those British bands distinguishable only by production values. All part of the same wave of thoughtless production and consumption.

Josef's work has sparked my interest in many of those places he's traveled. I don't know how they find those places. He's got a nice variety of work too. I'd love to see it in person.
Michael Levin has a bit of work on display here in L.A. His prints are the only ones, of those mentioned, i've seen up close. Stunning.

Stunning.There really are a lot of people creating some beautiful stuff in the style, that is certain.

Sorry Bill, but I'm definitely not Josef. Apologies Michael. I've often heard you were. My mistake.

There really are a lot of people creating some beautiful stuff in the style, that is certain.



Apologies Michael. I've often heard you were. My mistake.

I don't think there are 'a lot', I would say a handful. maybe 5 people or so, not more. IMO. however there 'a lot' that try to create beautiful stuff.

.....

I don't think there are 'a lot', I would say a handful. maybe 5 people ...While I would have agreed with you earlier, I think there are quite a few more than that. Up until a little while ago I really didn't look that much at photography via the web. Then I started getting a lot of requests for links and such and became amazed at how much talent is out there. Today I went to one of the sites linked in this thread and thought the work quite good. Similar for sure. Then I went to his links (http://www.giedriusvarnas.com/links.php) and found many more that were fine photographers working in a similar vein. And in their links more.... pretty humbling.

I think it is best to stay away from looking at too much work!

:)