Friday 26 January 2007

The Subvert

Did you know that 'subvert' in Danish and Norwegian is 'undergrave'? That's a rather cool word really.

Anyway, on to ME. I'd like to think that part of what my photography does is subvert the idea of traditional landscape photography - whether it's the sublime of the pictorialists, Ansel Adams etc., or the abstract of Minor White and his followers. I guess it's in the eye of the viewer, but I would like to think that that is at least part of what I do photographically.

But when you're travelling around this beautiful country of ours sometimes it's just too hard to ignore the obvious, the traditional, the shot everyone else takes.

Such as this, taken mid-evening when I was trying to escape from the sandflies.

Sometimes you see a shot which is similar to the obvious one, but which skews it a bit.

Such as this, taken just before that.

Sometimes you can add a bit of visual humour - mild in this case.

And sometimes you can just go "screw that, this says as much about this place than as any of those photos."

5 comments:

a camera in the world said...

I like the third one, but then I do have a strange sense of humour don't I...

Subversion is an interesting concept, and possibly not the right one. Is reinterpretation a better one for what you do? Probably just semantics.

microphen said...

no way man. i epitomise subversion. i am the most subversive subverter ever!!!

ndiginiz said...

Tena koe ehoa
I like your handle and take on landscape photography, call it what you want in my opinion, as long as we get to see the pictures when you've finished naming it.

The ultimate problem we face is the fact that so much of this damn country is just too beautiful and trying to find a landscape that isn't, makes almost every NZ landscape a photocopy of a previous image.

I like the first 2 Andy, stereotypcal NZ mountainous landscapes with that 'CLEAN GREEN' kiwi theme still surviving in them.

Happy new sunrises Andy and all the best for yet another blink in time.

ndiginiz said...

BTW just noticed a repetitive mark T/L & T/R on the top image?

microphen said...

thanks ndiginiz. happy new year to you also.

as david said it's all just semantics really - but sometimes pointless semantic arguments are fun.

my fav is still the last one.

i'm not sure what those marks are - possibly processing marks (i've noticed them on a few films) - but easily photoshopped.