Michael Kenna

Michael Kenna, born in 1953 in Widnes, Lancashire, England is famous for his black and white landscape photography. He has won multiple awards from 1981-2003 and published a vast amount of photo-books. In addition, he has participated in many exhibitions featuring landscapes and light. During his interview with Dean Brierly, he states that he developed his technical knowledge of photography through multiple sources, including his photography courses in school, specifically focused on photographic printing.


Furthermore, in his interview, he expresses his use of long exposures during night time and his work done in his darkroom. Michael Kenna has traveled to Japan multiple times and published a book containing 95 landscape images he has compiled over the years. He was intrigued by Japan's landscape in 1987 and has continued to travel across Japan for its terrain and history.

I especially admire his photography taken at Lijiang River of Guilin, China (2006). Lijiang is famous for its beautiful landscape of rivers and mountains. I have personally visited Lijiang and captured pictures of my own. However, his black and white photographs has captured scenes of Lijiang that I do not expect. I am impressed by many his photos because he is able to capture the light that reflects off the river and the overcast of the clouds.

Inspiration

An artist I am inspired by is a photographer named Vero Suh. She is a wedding and lifestyle photographer based in San Francisco, California. Vero Suh is also a Photo Art Director for Gap Inc. Her website is filled with her work from wedding photo shoots to family portraits. I think her photographs really capture the happy moment between couples and families.

Although Vero Suh is mainly known for her wedding photography, I am actually intrigued by her lifestyle photography that she posts on her Instagram. Instagram has become a useful platform for artists to create an expressive photo blog. It is also the place where I stumbled upon Vero Suh’s photography. Her Instagram includes snippets of her everyday life, wedding highlights, and fashion.

I find inspiration in many of her photographs because she is able to highlight the beauty of little details in everyday life, whether it is some flowers or a cup of coffee. It shows me how there is something to admire in everything and I would love to be able to do the same in my photography. Furthermore, I really enjoy her fashion posts because I also draw inspiration from her style. In general, I think her photography is chic and modern but comfortable meanwhile.