A Photographer at Work

Book excerpt: This highly original book explores the working methods and creative philosophy of one of the UK's greatest landscape photographers. Over a three-year period, Joe Cornish and his co-author Eddie Ephraums, have created a unique documentary record of Joe's photography in a variety of locations, from the Scottish Highlands to the north Conwall coast, via Northumberland and Joe's much-loved North Yorkshire. Each location is used to address a particular aspect of the art and craft of landscape photography, through conversations between the authors, images of Cornish at work, plus his own pictures from each location. The pictures show us not one, definitive interpretation of each scene but alternative compositions and the development of photographic ideas, giving revealing insights into the photographer's creative process. The book also documents Cornish's gradual transition from a traditional, exclusively film-based way of working to one that now embraces the use of digital compact cameras, digital SLRs and, most recently, a large format digital camera. He describes the opportunities that each of these new tools has opened up, for example he now uses a digital compact both as a sketchbook and for exhibition-quality prints. Full of informative and inspirational images, fascinating insights and professional tricks of the trade, this book will appeal to Joe Cornish's legions of fans and anyone with an interest in photographing the landscape.