Articles

Outdoor Photographer
August 2001

2001 Landscape Annual

Lords of the Landscape
By Mark Edward Harris

Excerpt: Joseph Kayne/Lord Of The Landscape/Prairie Tapestry

A magnificent rock outcropping. A majestic mountain peak. A skyscraping geyser. All might say "photograph me" all over them. And while it often takes the skill of a master photographer to turn such scenes into a masterpiece, its all the more impressive when one finds beauty in more sublime landscapes--scenes that might be passed by, such as the wide, open spaces of the prairie. Joseph Kayne creates distinctive images from this unique environment.

Outdoor Photographer: Why the prairie as a landscape subject?

Joseph Kayne: Being a large format photographer, I’ve naturally been attracted to the West and all it has to offer, from mountains to canyons to deserts to oceans. I also have a strong ongoing interest in the Anasazi dwellings and rock art, which stems from an archaeology background.

But when returning to my home state of Illinois, I often perceived a void or lack of subject matter to photograph. I ultimately discovered the tallgrass prairie through hikes and field interpretation lectures sponsored by local field office of The Nature Conservancy. At first, I didn’t realize how the tallgrass prairie differed from the weeds of empty lots. Then, I learned that the ecosystem is one of the rarest in the United States. Because of John Deere’s invention of the steel plow, there’s now less than one-tenth of one percent of tallgrass prairie left in Illinois, for example.

Outdoor Photographer: But you have discovered what’s left and found a way to capture it on film!

Joseph Kayne: Appreciation of the prairie is subtle and comes over time. It doesn’t initially "blow you away," like the Teton Range. The prairie is a treasure of wildflowers, which come in stages, starting in spring and ending in fall. Literally, each week during the flowering season, there is a different colorful display.

Also, I’m attracted to the wide openness, the expanse and the endless horizon of the prairie. In late summer, you can walk the trails of the prairie with big bluestem grasses swaying three to four feet over your head. In addition, the tallgrass prairie is only photographed by a handful of large format photographers. Unlike the Teton Range with its crowded viewpoints, I’m often the only photographer out on the prairies. I love the solitude of the prairie-it provides me with less distractions so that I’m able to concentrate on creativity.

Outdoor Photographer: How do you get such strong photos in this often overlooked environment?

Joseph Kayne: As with any photography, light is the most fundamental factor of a meaningful image. You must study the light and its interaction with the flowers, the grasses. Prairie wildflower photography is best conducted is subdued, even light, or when the sun just breaks the horizon or is just about to set. This soft light brings out the beauty of the details in the petals, grasses, leaves and stems of the flora. Dramatic landscape images of the tallgrass prairie are best made right before or after storms.

Wind is the "four-letter word" of the prairie photographer. Due to the tall nature of the flowers and grasses, as well as the lack of protection from a surrounding forest or canyon wall, wind must be avoided, as it has a great impact on the prairie. To help combat the wind factor, I push Fujichrome Velvia one stop to give me extra speed.

Other successful tools include: a tripod for sharp images; scouting an area before I make an image so that I’m not running around like a headless chicken when light and wind conditions are favorable; checking weather forecasts the day before I plan on photographing; and inquiring with local authorities and stewards for conditions of the prairie, especially if a burn of the prairie has occurred. Flowers are usually most numerous after a burn.

I also carry a black mat with a 4x5 inch opening to aid in composition. It’s important not to place your camera on its tripod until you are ready to make the image. Otherwise, you are limiting yourself. I’d suggest that medium and small format photographers initially compose with their cameras unattached to the tripod.

Outdoor Photographer: What type of equipment do you use?

Joseph Kayne: A Wista DXII 4x5 wooden field camera with Schneider, Rodenstock and Nikkor lenses, ranging from 65mm to 360mm. I sometimes use a Pentax 6x7 for close-up images. I also carry with me the Tallgrass Prairie Wildflowers Field Guide, published by Falcon Press.

Outdoor Photographer: Which seasons work best, and why?

Joseph Kayne: My favorite seasons on the prairie are from early summer to mid-fall. Summer brings a wave of wildflower blooms. Early to mid-summer brings shooting stars, purple coneflowers, spiderwort, prairie coreopsis and brilliant orange butterfly weed and, naturally, a wide variety of butterflies. If you could pick one day to be on the prairie it would be July 4th. Mid to late summer results in the explosion of tall, bright flowers, such as blazing star, yellow coneflowers and goldenrod. The big bluestem and Indian grass dance in the lazy summer wind. Autumn is the time of magical light on the prairie. Many grasses turn amber and glow in the setting sun.

Wood Betony & Fallen Oak Leaves,
Somme Woods Prairie, Illinois

View Camera Magazine
September/October 2001

JOSEPH KAYNE

THE COLOR LANDSCAPE

Text and Photography by Joseph Kayne
Copyright 2001

My photography began in 1980 & 1981, while I was in college. During this time, I received grants to work in archaeology digs in Egypt and Israel. I purchased a strictly manual 35mm camera to document these experiences. By that time, I had already taken a history of photography class in college, and was impressed by the work of Cartier-Bresson. As I walked around Cairo and the Old City of Jerusalem I attempted to make "decisive moment" black and white images. Thereafter, I used all of my free time to escape from a city job and travel west. I eventually moved up to a larger manual camera, a 4x5 field wooden field camera (WISTA), and changed the focus of my photography to color interpretation of the natural landscape and the Native American ancestral structures of the Four Corners area of the Southwestern United States.

The fine art color landscape print has recently made significant gains in recognition and appreciation throughout the photography world, thanks to efforts of highly competent artists such as Christopher Burkett, William Neill and, recently, Tom Till, with the opening of his gallery in Moab, Utah. Hoping to contribute to this line of meaningful work, the goal and purpose of each of my photography ventures is a fine art print. As such, I am forced to be extremely selective in my subject matter and images. This is contrary to the substantial majority of large format color landscape photographers, whose main income is derived from sales to editorial and paper products markets. While I also have some sales to these markets and clients include The Sierra Club, Arizona Highways and Audubon, such transactions are merely incidental. My main focus and concentration is the fine art print market. I am also involved with local environmental non-profit organizations and have donated fine art prints for fund-raising and display purposes. In terms of motivation, I find myself seeking refuge, freedom, and rejuvenation of spirit in natural areas. It sort of recharges my battery and elevates emotion. This was especially true when a good friend of mine was tragically murdered in my presence about 4 years ago. Shortly thereafter, I drove my truck to the Colorado Plateau and hiked backcountry canyons for 2 weeks without company. I am drawn to photograph by both: 1) the colors, forms, patterns and textures of nature, and 2) high quality and unique natural light. It is only when these two elements meet that I strive to make an image that will surpass the actual subject matter in terms of lasting impression and emotion. My mission is to create expressive fine art prints that evoke awe, mystery, excitement and spiritual rejuvenation, as well as other forms of reflection, meditation, curiosity and emotion, with the use of color as a strong element of composition. I also use different colors similar to the way fine art black and white photographers utilize tonal ranges. For the color photograph to be successful and accepted as art, I believe that it must "fight the uphill battle" and go beyond the literal, so that it causes the viewer to feel emotion. The observer must see and feel something more than a "pretty scene." Certainly, I’m pleased with some of the "icons" that I have made images of in unique light or using unorthodox compositions, but I am more satisfied with the sensitive images of common landscapes that I have made, especially in my native state of Illinois which has very little spectacular areas. These common, lesser known areas, force me to be more creative and allow me the expressive freedom to portray original compositions, as I have not been influenced or exposed to the great inventory of images of famous locations from "pre-determined" and popular viewpoints.

I have no formal degree in photography. I study the work of other photographers and painters. Of course, Ansel Adams & Edward Weston were initial favorites but I admire the work of many contemporary landscape photographers, both color and black & white. I routinely study the paintings of Georgia O'Keefe, Maynard Dixon & Edward Mell, as well as lesser known artists. I periodically teach nature landscape photography workshops to high school art students, which I find extremely invigorating and fresh. I often show these students Edward Weston’s black and white image of a toilet in Mexico ("Excusado"). The toilet is so eloquently simple in style and form. I stress that if a toilet can be made to look elegant by a photographer just think of the possibilities of the natural landscape.

About The Photographs

All of the photographs accompanying this article, except for one, are intimate autumn scenes. As you can see, I have used color similar the use of tones by black and white landscape artists. I have also emphasized textures and patterns, which is especially evident in Floating Autumn Leaves and Pine Needles, Illinois. All of these autumn images invite contemplation. I have sold a series of 30x40" prints of these photographs and have been informed by various owners on different occasions that they felt like they "were part of the landscape and could walk into and get lost in the image." As mentioned above, my camera is a Wista DXII (wooden) field model, which is light for backpacking and scampering up canyon walls. My lenses are Schneider, Rodenstock and Nikkor and range from 65mm to 500mm. I use Fuji Velvia and Provia F transparency film and I push both films one stop in overcast conditions. No filters were used in the autumn images, except for Floating Autumn Leaves and Pine Needles. On this image, I used a Heliopan warming polarizer to eliminate glare on the water. As far as exposure is concerned, I use a Pentax 1degree spot meter and I meter off mid-tones such as greens, oranges, grays and light browns. My tripod is a Gitzo 320 Studex with an old Arca Swiss Monoball head.

The remaining image is of an ancestral puebloan (Anasazi) defensive dwelling located on the Colorado Plateau. I have seen the image photographed before but not successfully in color. In fact, it took several trips to this site before I was able to make use of favorable light and a particular angle of the sun to create the warm glow in the dwelling, that is only truly evident in a color photograph. I’ve heard that there is now a prohibition from entering the fragile structure because of possible destruction from increasing visitation. Unfortunately, the site became popular due to a fairly recent book that glorified the area and, specifically, this ruin. Although I routinely push process my transparency film one stop on all of my ancestral images, I did not do so in this image. Push processing provides me with an increase in contrast that I desire for the sites, especially the petroglyphs and pictographs that often accentuate the structures. I will occasionally use an 81A or 81B warming filter to eliminate the excessive blue cast shown in transparency film when photographing in the shade on clear days. My interest in these ancient Native American structures stems both from my early archaeology background and the artistic natural settings of the subject matter. The structures were built with the then existing natural elements of stone, mud and plant materials. They really fit with, and constitute part of, the surrounding natural landscape and, have a strong sense of mystery. I must also credit fine art black and white photographer, Ray McSavaney, a fellow hiker and excellent photographer of these sites, with inspiration and comradery.

With regard to the prints, after the initial large format transparencies are exposed, I have them professionally drum scanned by Photocraft Labs in Boulder, Colorado at very high resolution (260mb). The scanned image is then cleaned and adjusted via computer using Adobe Photoshop. Here, I have the ability, and greater flexibility, to make subtle adjustments to contrast and color balance, as well as burning and dodging, similar to the methods used by black and white master printers. I remain faithful to the landscape and the original transparency by using only traditional darkroom modifications. Once the adjustments are finalized, the image is transferred to traditional Fuji archival photographic paper by the use of a Lightjet 5000 digital enlarger which applies color lasers. The prints are processed in traditional RA4 chemistry. The process is done at very high resolution and renders prints in the sharpest and finest form as the final image does not have to pass through the lens of an optical enlarger. This process gives the me the greatest control over the printing process and renders archival prints that last for more than 70 years.