Michael Kenna

Michael Kenna is a world renowned photographer best known for his black and white photographs. His photographs have a surreal feeling to them. His photos have a soothing symmetry that is amplified by the contrast and exposure. 

The first photo is from his collection 'Silent World' whereas the second one is from his collection of photos of locations in Japan. In the first photo we see a walkway covered in snow with scaffoldings on either side. This image has marked symmetry which appeals to me. The scaffoldings help the viewer focus in the middle of the photo and draws us to the far end of the walkway. As characteristic of Kenna, the image has a very sharp contrast and the exposure is just right to bring out all the details.

In the second photo, Kenna portrays the Taushubetsu Bridge in Hokkaido, Japan. This photo is part of a series of images that portray locations in Japan and all over the world. The symmetry is apparent in this photo - the bridge and its reflection. In addition to this the water reflects the image which adds more symmetry. In the distance the faint outlines of mountains can be seen which means that the light source is behind it and it is clear that the photo was most likely taken during sunrise with plenty of ambient light. 

Another detail that both these photos have in common is the clouds. The clouds in both images are not static. They portray movement and this is achieved by long exposure times, probably a few hours. This long exposure time brings more light and contrast to the picture to clearly delineate even the small details. 

Here is another one of his landscape photos taken in my hometown, Dubai, UAE. The photo depicts the iconic skyline of the city. The contrast and exposure in this photo shows the details of the buildings and even the construction going on in the buildings to the right which shows that the city is constantly rebuilding itself to make it better.

Here again we can see all the characteristics like long exposure and sharp detail.