The Intimate Landscape

Towering mountains, immeasurable oceans, deserts and prairies; these are the brass bands of the landscape that demand to be photographed, and photographs like these drew me to photography like many others. I too wished to make such photographs. But there are few brass bands where I live, and travel is difficult, and I felt disappointed. But, in time, I came to realize that there is other music in the landscape as well: softer, quieter, and, for me, equally grand. The Intimate Landscape surrounds every footstep and is present in every glance. No need to travel, at least not very far, one needs only to be observant and receptive to its sweet sound. Secret treasure can be found in places unhidden but often overlooked. A backyard, a forest, a burbling brook, even the side of the road, holds gentle miracles of the landscape, for those who care to look. I still marvel at majestic vistas that others photograph and were I in such places I would photograph them too. But the lure that they originally held for me has faded. Now I long to go for a quiet walk in local woods, or along a nearby river, or even in a city park; for I know what sings there and waits for me there to discover.