Style
The Photographer’s style is a sort of depth adjacent to curvature. For example his work includes numerous compositions where the subject had leading lines working up to it. These “leading lines' ' could be winding streams, or worn wood and rock that capture the viewer's eye, guiding it to the subject of the photo. This, in some cases however, creates an image where the subject could be the curved foreground. It depends on the full depth and angle of the point of view. Also to note, David prefers to take photographs of pure landscape and no man made objects or impacts, if so it is typically not his usual work.
Philosophy
David’s main viewpoints of his photography are simply put but complicated to decipher the true emotions and thoughts he has about his work as he constantly moves location and depending on the photos he takes depends on his mood and connection to nature during that photo shoot.
He said in an artist statement from his website that…
“The things that matter to me inform my photography and my life. Because I’ve used my photography to explore these things, you will find them as titles of portfolios. But they are also subjects for my thinking. They reflect the places and subjects about which I feel passionate.”
As you can see, he truly does use his work as a way to display his connection with nature. That is one of his main ideas and also his ability to display his feelings goes into how the pictures are specifically taken whether it’s at the top of a mountain peak; Or the bottom of a valley.
He said in an artist statement from his website that…
“The things that matter to me inform my photography and my life. Because I’ve used my photography to explore these things, you will find them as titles of portfolios. But they are also subjects for my thinking. They reflect the places and subjects about which I feel passionate.”
As you can see, he truly does use his work as a way to display his connection with nature. That is one of his main ideas and also his ability to display his feelings goes into how the pictures are specifically taken whether it’s at the top of a mountain peak; Or the bottom of a valley.
Influences
I would say that when it comes to influential stand points, this Artist has helped me really understand curves and flow in nature as typically symmetric things are very rare in nature. So instead of looking for a perfect line or angle, just moving with the subject in its direction gives a whole new perspective to the composition. When it comes to David’s inspiration, a lot of it comes down to his childhood with his parents. His parents were very free flowing when it came to expressing themselves. For example, his Father was a Photographer, and his Mother was a writer. Both of them combined inspired David to write his own story by expressing his love for adventure into photography.
In the composition on the left is work by David Muench, and on the right is my own work. As you can see I took to a field of similar looking yellow flowers which may actually be the same. I took these photos while at the Tulip Festival in Holland, MI, just a week and a half ago with my family. They are quite similar however I got at a much lower angle to reduce background noise from other people at the Tulip Festival.
The photo on the Left is by David Muench and has a very high vantage point, looking down at the sand dunes almost in a ‘‘floaty’’ type manner. Whereas my photo on the right is closer to ground level, and I took it with the perspective of matching the photo in David’s work but more in line with the curve. Unfortunately the day of this shoot, which was once again on my family trip to Western Michigan Recently, was very cloudy that day and did not make for bright photos like David had in his composition.
In this example, once again, David’s work is on the left hand side, and mine respectively on the right. In his composition you can see around the arch of the rock and are able to see a beautiful sunset/sunrise. On my picture, you can see a similar arched hole with background behind that opening, however my vantage point for this photo of the rock with green moss was taken in a Cave in Hocking Hills as I recently went on a family trip down there and decided to try and recreate David’s ‘‘Hole Photo’’.
Personal Artist Statement
Much like the experience and reflections that David Muench has experienced, I can relate to him and his work on a deep level of understanding. I too, like David, feel that when taking pictures of landscape photography, in some instances, it’s almost a documentary of your travels and your feelings or emotions of adventure on that specific day or at that specific location. The fact that location changes every time, ever different angle, it all is unique to not only itself, but the person taking the picture. It’s something that can only be deciphered by looking at the photo than can be expressed in words. That connection to the photo, and to nature is something that you really can’t get with other types of photos, and even when one may not see it, focusing on a subject with a landscape background can still give feelings of grandeur, and without that landscape that composition would not be complete. The feeling of depth and value is what I reach for when taking landscape photographs, and I feel I have done a pretty good job doing that.