Richard Rothman is a nationally recognized photographer who shoots almost exclusively in large-format black and white. There is a great variety to the subjects in his work, but what most compelled me was his series "Redwood Saw". This series, and ultimately, book shows Rothman's transition from photographing landscapes of one of the oldest Redwood forests in the States, to photographing the people who live in and around that area.
Immediately, his landscapes are beautiful. They show thoughtful composition, correct exposure, but also show beautiful and interesting interpretations of land. When he first went to this area of Northern California he wanted to capture the awe of this humbling place. The black and white scheme also allow the viewer to focus on the linear elements of the photo. It's not about the colors of the place, which I'm sure are just as beautiful, but about the extraordinary forms that are placed in front of him.
Where this photoset gets interesting for me is when Rothman began taking photos in the surrounding town. Forced out of the wilderness because of needs for supplies, he found that the degrading places outside of the redwoods were almost as beautiful and certainly compelling as photographic subjects. The final product is a beautiful marriage of landscapes and portraits that provides a well-rounded view of two very different places in such close proximity to one another.
No comments:
Post a Comment