Intimate landscapes

First, a brief explanation of the term: photos of intimate landscapes show a portion of the 'traditional', expansive landscape. The size of this portion can vary enormously and is entirely up to the photographer. A characteristic feature, however, is that there is usually no sky or horizon visible in the composition.

In previous blog posts, I've published a few such photos. And I've also mentioned Simon Booth's name before. He's a true expert in this field; just check out his website or YouTube channel. Because I've become increasingly interested in this subgenre lately, I've decided to write a separate blog post about it.

Let me start by saying that I still very much enjoy photographing traditional landscapes. We just spent a week in Southern Limburg, and when I see the cloudy sky below just before sunset and a heavy thunderstorm, I enjoy it immensely and naturally want to capture it in the most beautiful way possible.

I also like the photo below, which I took around sunrise.

But as I said, intimate landscapes appeal to me more and more and there are a number of reasons for this:

• Available all day

  Striking landscape photos often showcase beautiful light and/or impressive cloudy skies. However, this means you're often limited to taking photos at the edges of the day and are also extremely dependent on the (weather) conditions. Intimate landscapes, however, can be photographed throughout the day. In fact, a uniformly gray cloudy sky often benefits you, preventing you from experiencing stark contrasts.

Below are two photos of an intimate landscape, showing that it is quite possible to take out the camera in the middle of the day.

Even with bright sunlight and very high contrasts, there are possibilities. Converting to black and white allows you to take advantage of those stark contrasts in light and shadow. In the photo below, I've even increased the contrast slightly to give the whole thing a slightly ominous feel.

• Infinite number of subjects

  Intimate landscape photos can therefore not only be taken at any time of day, but there are also always suitable subjects to be found, precisely because you don't have to limit yourself to large landscapes. Moreover, such subjects give you much more freedom to capture them in your own way. Because while a classic landscape often uses the same composition, with an intimate landscape you are only bound by your own creativity. Colors, shapes, contrasts, and textures are all available for you to utilize.

• More freedom and creativity

  Whatever I do, I enjoy it and find it challenging to develop and improve myself. I'm convinced that photographing intimate landscapes makes me a better photographer. Finding an engaging subject and capturing it beautifully isn't easy. When I succeed in creating a good composition of something most people would overlook, it's incredibly satisfying. It's precisely this creative aspect that I find somewhat lacking in landscape photography.

The last photo is a good example. My eye was drawn to some diagonal fern stems. I could already picture the final result, but it still took me quite a bit of effort to achieve it. Kneeling with the camera in hand, in a cringe-inducing position, there was really only one possible composition. Significant underexposure was necessary to emphasize the diagonal lines and give the whole thing a nice graphic look.

Perhaps it goes without saying, but Southern Limburg is a truly beautiful part of the Netherlands. Go see it!