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Peter Lik from Edge

glenerrolrd

Workshop Member
Caught a rerun of some of Peter Lik s series on Landscape Photography . Incredibly interesting and I would think pretty neat for the MF landscape photographers .

First episode was in the snow in Montana ....take away ...jeez get in shape this guy was walking up hill in snow to over his boots with Gitzo /RRS head and his trusty Phase and Canon gear in a back pack that would hold a small child. Then he whips out his ice gear and climbs a frozen waterfall.

Second episode was right on the issue of back up . I think he was at the Arches (shows what I know ) and he has a guide to get a special up close angle . He cuts back his kit to just the canon and a 24-105 :loco: leaves the P65+ back at the ranch . So he is waiting for the light at dusk explaining you only get one shot at this ..maybe once in a lifetime ...he mounts the Canon and looks thru the viewfinder ..yikes the lens is shattered ! They show him hiking out in the dark . :ROTFL:
 

johnnygoesdigital

New member
I too, have watched this show, but was a little disappointed. I want to know what settings he's using and filter choices etc. Also, it seems his videographer gets better images! I know the show is not really geared toward the photographer, but it would be fun to see more camera gear. Not my favorite photographer, but a fantastic marketing genius.
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
I've decided to trade in my Land Rover for a rusty gnarly jeep/pickup with no working electrics. I'm going to start wearing cut-off sleeves for my shirts, shorts and jackets and a weather beaten hat. Oh, whenever you see me there'll be rock music playing in the background and I'll make a point of always carrying my Gitzo over my shoulder in a manly fashion.

Will this make me a commercially successful landscape photographer too? :ROTFL:

In all seriousness, it is a fun program to watch and kudos to the guy for his success. You can't argue with that aspect of it all. Like the rest of us you know that his shots don't come from the glamorised experience that they show in the program but in reality he's out there in the same dark, same rain, same boring hours of waiting for the light that we have to go through to get a shot too.

One funny thing I noticed was that at the beginning of the series you saw the manufacturers labels on the cameras etc and by then they were getting masked out.

Btw, I'm sure that his gallery business is doing just fine thank you very much after this series!
 

Vincent Goetz

Subscriber Member
I have been to his gallery in Manhattan. I may have been the only person there that did not think he was a god of some sort. He shoots pretty typical standard landscapes and it appears that his processing and particularly his printing is what makes his work work in the current economic market for photography. But he goes to all the signature places that landscape photographers seem to think they need to go, and they all shoot the same images. Folks, they have been done. What we don't need is six thousand photographers all shooting the same image. What we do need is photographers that can find the same beauty in other places, or different ways to see the same thing.

I very much agree with Johnny Goes Digital. I would love to see a show where the photographer describes the technology behind his work, his approach, and the why of what he does. that would be far better than the photo magazines, CD's, etc that I am inundated with on a regular basis. Rather than what Peter Lik presents.
 

Anders_HK

Member
I much like and admire his work on artistic merits and find his videos interesting. In relation to artistic merits the technical aspects become secondary and I do not care what shutter etc he used. That should be above that level of works! Not all his work is same level, but some is such top notch to point of that he may well be remembered as the prime landscape photographer from our time, same as Ansel was of his. Now, these are two distinct different characters, but Peter has found his niche. Little to argue about is that his financial success appear to have put him in seat of being the most successful of landscape photographers ever during his lifetime. However, there is likewise another side in the many awards he has achieved on basis of his work and artistically so (even selling at Sotheby). Frankly looking at some of his key works they are in my view exceptional artistically and way above the norm.

I realize that above may flame some people. Perhaps it is that way when someone breaks the mold, and if I understand matters right it was not all fine and glory about Ansel Adams in his time either...

I did post the other month of the iPhone and iPad apps by Peter both here and on LuLa. On LuLa some cared to insisit of Peter;s "low merits" while I was of other opinion. It is funny when many hang around the forums and believe the snaps with dslrs are what is the artistic merit, not that such cannot be made well also, just hope you get the point I make. The funny thing of matter is that all I pointed out in both threads was that the apps are really good in that I learnt from his photography, they were solely my review of his app. Those apps remain the best I seen for these devices. While they contain I think same pictures they do give a different experience. I purchased both. The iPad one also enable links to videos over interenet connection. Here on Getdpi it was supricing very few replies to my thread of the App. I much recommend checking these apps out, no better available for the iPhone or iPad on landscape photography per what I seen.

It does seem Peter Lik is up and about more than the rest of us, going through the extra extent to chase down the images that sets him apart. I guess simply that is what it takes to capture magnificent light at its best and character. The equipment is much secondary, though he do use Linhof 617 and recent P65+.

I first saw Peter Lik's work in his gallery in Cairns, Australia in 2003. That was before he moved to States and made it to famous. The images left a very lasting imrpessive impression in me. In my personal opinion he is one of the best of our time when looking at his artistic merits. Sure he also shoot famous locations, but his best shots of those are also unlike others, something new and of very high artistic qualities.

Perhaps opinions and impressions simply differ...

Regards
Anders
 
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