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It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.

Henry David Thoreau

Many photographers describe their photographic journey as a lifelong passion for photography. I can’t claim such a history but came to photography relatively late in my life. My interest for it awoke through the nature of Finland.

Finland’s nature is quite particular in many respects. Not only does it contain some of the last wild places in Europe, but also an incredibly varied assortment of micro landscapes, rocks and lakes formed by the last ice age. The northern latitude with its harsh climate only supports coniferous forests but those are full of character and dignity. Foremost however, Finland’s nature is steeped in beautiful light, which is never really harsh and can turn magical even during the darkest season.

Why Landscape Art?

Humans have for at least three thousand years depicted landscapes. First in drawings and paintings and, since the 19th century, also in photographs. What do we find attractive in landscapes that compels us to continue this practice?
What we see is that, with the digital revolution in photography, the depiction of landscapes has not only continued, but exploded. Any image search for famous landmarks on the internet turns up thousands of pictures taken by amateurs and professional photographers alike.

In the light of environmental concern and the need to rethink our relation to nature, one can ask whether this visual overload is helpful or not. Does it show our continued connection to the beauty of this planet, or are we promoting a mindset that turns nature into a form of amusement park? In this context, also landscape artists in general and landscape photographers in particular have to define their role. Is landscape photography only a form of home decoration, or can it still be “art”, enriching people’s lives through meaning – and what kind of meaning could that be?

This article is an inquiry into an answer. It’s starting point is the question, why we might find landscapes beautiful and attractive in the first place.