Rick Sandler: Landscape

These days, I have been devoting most of my photographic energy to learning to see photographically in a new way using an approach called, The Practice of Contemplative Photography.  The essence of this approach is to show things as they are, not how you want them to be. To do this, you must be in the present, seeing without preconception.  The camera does not come to the eye and the photo is not taken until the image has been formed in the mind.  Of course, this is difficult to do and requires constant practice.  I am making progress with my practice but this and other images that I have made using the practice of contemplative photography are far from completely without preconception.  

I believe that there is an inherent beauty in nature as it is, at all times, and that this beauty can be revealed without the need to wait for spectacular sunsets or serious post-processing. This fits nicely with the perceptual framework of contemplative photography, in contrast to the conceptual nature of most landscape photography.

In this image of Copalis Beach, I was drawn to the curve of the river and the contrast of it with the ocean in the distance and the sand dune in the foreground.  I used minimal post-processing to render the scene as it was and made a point to not beautify the image, which would have been very easy to do.  I have to admit to slightly darkening the sky with a graduated filter in Lightroom 4.  I think of this as adding a little salt to make the chicken soup more palatable without altering the underlying flavor.  I hope that you will enlarge the image before viewing so that you can fully appreciate the sweep of the river.