The purpose of the artistic statement is so I can share with you information about my artwork; how I create it, what drives me, what inspires me. Information you might otherwise discern from looking at my photography.

Unfortunately most of the artist statements I read all sound pretty similar, a bit clichéd and manufactured to impress; that is not who I am. So if your reading this and find yourself thinking this isn’t an artist’s statement, just remember my objective is, to tell you more about me than you might gain from just looking at my photographs.

Before I start talking about vision and inspiration I would like to spend a little time considering a few finer points about the tools I use to create my work. I do this because it’s the natural journey a photographer takes in that they initially focus on equipment and its mastery before considering the finer point of our art.

Initially, when I started giving presentations to camera clubs in the UK I would be asked the question do you shoot film or digital. Interestingly people now assume I shoot digitally. Well I need to put the record straight, I continue to shoot both. Not because one is better than the other but because I still love to shoot film and I enjoy it. Film gives a different feel to my work and I like to try to use that.

As for the equipment, I don’t think this matters too much providing it gives the quality I need and that predominantly means that lenses that are sharp. To give you an example of how this works, I often shoot with a 10Mpixel LX5 pocket camera but the lens quality is superb, allowing me to make excellent prints significantly larger than you might expect. My cameras and lenses are just tools and the badge on the front is unimportant. Everything I do is organised around producing images to the highest quality as I believe this is recognisable in the finished print.

Next is the thorny issue of producing monochrome or colour work. Again my answer would be it depends on what I am photographing and what my artistic intention in. Some subjects’ suit colour best whilst others are better suited to monochrome. What I don’t want is to be labelled as one or the other but rather be free to mix and match to make the most of my opportunities. At the end of the day I want to produce images with impact.

Printing is something that seems to be getting forgotten by many in this digital age. I am however a passionate believer is printing work in order to appreciate it fully. Printing is a difficult skill to master but one which ultimately pays dividends. It also adds significantly to the enjoyment of the finished photograph. A well crafted print takes on an additional dimension of subtle beauty that just isn’t present when viewing a photograph on a screen. I have however sometimes heard traditional darkroom photographers deride the inkjet print as not requiring the skill of the darkroom and being substandard in a way. I don’t however believe this is true as it takes considerable skill to produce a great inkjet print. What the inkjet print provides is standardisation and repeatability so that I am free to focus on developing my other skills. Ultimately I believe this leads to a better final photograph.

I am by definition a Landscape Photographer but I pursue what I believe are two very different forms of Landscape Photography. The first is my true passion and that is what I would call the natural landscape; that is the landscape created by nature. The other classification of landscape that I have is the urban landscape, or manmade landscapes.

In photographing the natural landscape I have one overriding vision and that is to show people how unbelievably varied and beautiful the natural world is. This could be by photographing a rugged landscape, a high mountain a tranquil lake, a raging storm or a beautiful sunset. My message is the same; nature is infinitely varied and very beautiful. I want to help people appreciate that through my work.

In photographing the manmade landscape is still want to capture beauty but my objective is slightly different. Here I want to open people’s eyes to seeing the everyday things that they might otherwise overlook. This could be a building they pass everyday on the way to work, it might be the bridge the cross, the office block they work in or the interesting shapes and tones of the carpet underlay dumped at the end of their street (no I’m not joking). There is beauty in so much if we just take the time to stop and appreciate it.

At this point in an artist statement it’s customary to stop and say a little bit about the work of other photographers and artist whom I draw inspiration from. Again, I’m going to deviate from the norm a little because I can’t honestly say that there is a single photographer who has heavily influenced my work. When asked this question in the past I used to answer with names such as Joe Cornish or Ansel Adams but this was simply because I liked their work and thought it was necessary to give an answer.

Now I have sufficient confidence in my own work to give the real answer and that is to say that it’s individual images I draw inspiration from and not a particular photographer. It might be the way the photographer has emphasised the texture of object, captured the way light is reflected from a wet rock or the way they have used shadows to direct attention. All these things I can find inspiration in and these are the things I file away in my mind, looking for the right opportunity to use them in the future.

Now this is something you won’t find in many artists statements but I think it’s very important for you to understand some of my beliefs and convictions to better understand how I approach my work. I’m afraid they are somewhat jumbled here but here are points I feel are of sufficient importance to share with you.

I have already said that my vision of the world is that it’s a beautiful place and I want to share that with others through my photographs. I use a variety of tools and techniques to achieve this by emphasising something in the scene that has caught my attention. No matter what I have seen or what technique I use, you can be certain of one thing and that I have produced my photograph to the highest standards possible for me at that time.

I am also passionate about learning and developing my skills as I see this as the pathway to improved quality in the future. New ways of doing things emerge as do improved technologies. I feel I must understand these and answer the simple question, will this improve the quality of my work. If it does then I will use it, if not I put it to one side.

I have a strong belief that artwork must be shared and that everyone and the best way to experience photography is to hang it on your wall.  My prints are open editions to encourage this and I don’t believe in placing artificial limits on prints to inflate their value. As a result I will probably never be rich from my art but more people will get to enjoy it.

This is also one of the reasons that I do not pursue photography as my main source of income. If I did, I believe it would put me in conflict with my core beliefs and ultimately would detract from the work I produce. I make photographs because I love to photograph things and share their beauty with others.

I could go on at this point but I suspect you would lose interest. In any case, I have shared with you what I believe are the most important things you should know about me and my photography. If of course you have any questions you feel are important and unanswered feel free to contact me.

Robin Whalley

Landscape Photographer