Michael Kenna: The Simple Times

 Michael Kenna, a British Photographer, is known for his black-and-white landscapes. These landscapes often give a sense of stillness, mystery, and timelessness. Meanwhile, other landscape photographers aim to capture grand acts of nature or grand sights. Michael Kenna instead focused on minimalist compositions and long-exposure techniques. These techniques often give these images a dreamlike feel, almost ethereal.

 

One of the things that Michael Kenna excels at is being able to strip a landscape down to its essentials. For example, a lone tree has done in the snow, a misty pier stretching into an endless horizon. This lack of objects in the images shows that it is not about what is seen but what is felt by the images instead.

 

For me, Kenna’s photographs evoke a deep sense of quiet and introspection, They remind me of the moments when the world feels still, oftentimes when I am overworked and stressed sometimes I just need to take a moment I go outside at night, and just listen to the quiet. That is what his photos remind me of, and that is what they make me feel. There is a peacefulness in the work that makes me take a moment to pause and reflect on myself. The images don’t look for attention like some photographers nowadays, instead, they want you to look at your own accord.