Final Analysis

first came across Jesse Alexander’s work after fellow columnist Paul Hill introduced me to his excellent book, , in 2015. It’s an insightful survey on landscape photography in which Jesse explores the genre in a historical, contemporary and philosophical context. He delves into ideas and concepts that transcend the chocolate-box, arcadian vistas that blight the genre., he suggests three verities of a successful landscape photo: geography, autobiography and metaphor. By geography, Adams refers to the record of place, what makes it unique, such as the topography, the light and the weather. By autobiography, he’s suggesting that the photographer’s ‘sense of place’ comes into play and informs the image through personal expression. And finally, by metaphor, Adams asks if an alternative meaning can be read. He suggests that each ‘verity’ taken in isolation has the potential to be boring, trivial or dubious, but that together they can reinforce each other and produce an image with depth and substance.