What can a 21st-century landscape photographer possibly have in common with a renowned 19th-century composer?
As it turns out, a shared reverence for the natural world.
“How delighted I will be to ramble for a while through the bushes, woods, under trees, through grass and around rocks. No one can love the country as much as I do. For surely woods, trees and rocks produce the echo that man desires to hear.”
~Ludwig van Beethoven
Beethoven was an ardent nature lover. He viewed the natural world as a sanctuary and also found musical inspiration in it. Exhibit A would have to be his Symphony No. 6 in F – the “Pastoral” Symphony.
This feeling of veneration for nature is probably the reason many of us became landscape photographers in the first place. We, too, feel a strong personal bond with the natural world. Through photography, we try to capture and express our emotional connection to it.
What, then, might be the echo Beethoven speaks of when considered from a landscape photographer’s point of view?
If the landscape itself is the voice, perhaps the photograph is the echo: a reflection of the scene created in the quiet space between the lens and the artist’s heart.
There are several ways we can look for this echo in the field:
The Emotional Echo
A standard photograph records what is there. An “echo photo” records how it felt to see and experience the scene. You’re capturing the mystery, the scale, or the tranquility – whatever feeling the subject bounced back to you.
The Temporal Echo
An echo isn’t instantaneous. One must wait to hear it. Likewise, the visual echo requires patience: a willingness to wait for the fog to shift, the light to change, or the clouds to move. Avoid the impulse to begin shooting too quickly, or to pack up too soon. Give the landscape time to acknowledge your presence and respond to you.
Compositional Echoes
The echo repeats and then gradually diminishes in intensity. You can find something similar visually by looking for underlying order hidden inside scenes that, on the surface, appear chaotic. For example, you might discover repeating lines or shapes – like the way the shape created by a stand of trees mimics that of the mountain behind them.
The Quiet Echo
The grand landscape might be thought of as shouting. The Tetons, my spectacular local mountain range, do often use their "outside voices." Such expansive, dramatic scenes can certainly elicit emotional responses and produce wonderful photographs.
But Beethoven specifically mentioned “bushes, woods, under trees, through grass and around rocks.” Intimate spaces are abundant. We're surrounded by many such quiet conversations in nature.
The next time you head out with your camera, look beyond the iconic. Slow down, wander a bit, and simply listen for the visual echo waiting to be acknowledged.
Back to the Music
If you’re wondering what prompted this nod to Beethoven, it’s the world-renowned Grand Teton Music Festival. The festival orchestra, under the direction of Sir Donald Runnicles, will be performing the Pastoral Symphony in concert this Friday and Saturday in Jackson.
I came across the Beethoven quote in the program when attending the festival's opening weekend last month. I'll be returning for Saturday night's performance and am looking forward to it.
The Grand Teton Music Festival, celebrating its 65th season, features seven weeks of world-class music performed by celebrated musicians from across North America and Europe.
Follow the link to find out more about the festival: www.gtmf.org
Into the Mist
In Local News
Air quality on both sides of the Tetons is poor due to a lightning-caused wildfire burning in Heise, Idaho (near Idaho Falls) which began on Friday, July 31st and grew rapidly over the weekend. Firefighters have done a heroic job in difficult conditions (very low humidity and high winds over the weekend). Many homes and other structures were threatened, as were the Cress Creek Nature Trail and Kelly Canyon Ski Resort - but as of this writing all have been saved.
The fire is still burning but since Monday has been staying inside fire lines. It's roughly 25% contained.
Missed last week's post? Follow the link to read it: