Michael Kenna - Landscape photographer

THIS VIDEO_:Photographer, Michael Kenna is 70 years old this year and I had no idea how huge his following is – He’s had over 475 solo exhibitions in 40 countries and 70 books of his photographs have been produced. I haven’t been instinctively drawn to his work, perhaps because of its apparent simplicity. But I think in his case – it is like so many life pursuits, transforming complex responses into simple representations requires talent, dedication and wisdom. As we rush about in our busy world it would be easy to dismiss a Zen monk as simple, naïve and out of touch with reality – but they have dedicated their whole lives to avoid getting caught up in the divisions within the world. Kenna says that he looks for what he cannot see – he prefers to include elements of suggestion in his photographs rather than producing an accurate description of the scene. He has drawn from the photographic masters before him, like Ansel Adams, Eugene aget and Alfred Steeglitz, but he has also added ingredients of Zen to build a language of landscape photography that is his own. 1-on-1 MENTORING: ABOUT ME: The conversations focus on topics related to different aspects of photography including: art, documentary and photojournalism. The discussions explore the personal experiences of photographers and artists and how their work reflects both their internal and external landscape. During the past 30 years I have photographed in over 50 countries for magazines including National Geographic, Time, New York Times and Newsweek. I have held solo exhibitions in New York, London and Paris and my work is showcased in private and institutional art collections around the world. COPYRIGHT: The copyright for all images belongs to the photographer/s being discussed. WEBSITE: FACEBOOK: INSTAGRAM: MUSIC: Lost in Prayer - Doug Maxwell VIDEO CLIPS: A Conversation with Michael Kenna (1) LEARNING to OBSERVE The landscape minimalism of MICHAEL KENNA Michael Kenna