Prolific science fiction novelist Kim Stanley Robinson opens his new Science Fiction novel The ministry for the Future in a small town in Uttar Pradesh in India with a vivid description of a deadly heatwave that kills twenty million people. One of the few survivors of the catastrophic event is Frank, a young American working for an NGO in India at that time. Frank, one of the main characters in the novel, will bear this horrific experience throughout his life and suffer from PTSD.

Massive political upheaval takes place in India after this catastrophe. The reigning political party is voted out and a coalition of pro-people parties, and environmentalists take over. India takes the leading role in combating climate change. One of their first actions is spraying sulfur aerosols into the atmosphere, to brighten the clouds to reflect sunlight and thus control the warming.

In response to this catastrophic event, a new global body is formed – The ministry for the future, which is entrusted with securing the future for the next generations. Mary Murphy, a strong Irish woman heads the Ministry. Mary would become the other main character of the novel.

Events unfold very slowly and with very little progress in the beginning. A new organization called Children of Kali takes root in India, whose primary goal is to avenge the deaths of the innocents killed in the deadly heatwave. One of their actions was to drown many planes flying on fossil fuel with swarms of drones, in a coordinated attack. After that incident, flying on fossil fuel becomes rare and solar-powered airships slowly navigating the earth takes over.

The ministry of Future undertakes many projects in order to mitigate the worst effects of climate change. One such bold undertaking was pumping out the water from underneath the polar ice caps to stop their trajectory to world’s oceans and arrest the huge sea-level rise. However, the main breakthrough happens when Mary could convince the central bankers of the world to back the new environmental currency, Carboni. Carboni replaces US dollar as the new global currency. Companies are paid in Carboni when they sequester carbon.

The novel ends in a brighter 2050s when the world has managed to reduce carbon from the atmosphere at the rate of 5 parts per million per year. Mary retires from the ministry and takes a voyage in a solar-powered airship to watch the wildlife that has taken over half the planet after the rewild the nature movement.

Robinson ends the novel with very hopeful words:

That there is no other home for us than here. That we will cope no matter how stupid things get. That all couples are odd couples. That the only catastrophe that can’t be undone is extinction. That we can make a good place. That people can take fate in their hands. That there is no such thing as fate. 

This is a very well-researched novel, drawing heavily from the frontiers of climate science, leading economic and political research. Each and every event described in the novel can very well come true. Robinson uses a very different format here. On one thread the storyline progresses, on another thread are the background articles on the relevant climate science, economic research, and current political theories scattered throughout the book before the relevant storyline unfolds. It can be hard to read sometimes, but if you follow through, you will be rewarded with an understanding of the state of the current climate crisis, the latest climate science research, and the frontiers of recent economic and political theories among others.

However, the best part of the novel is the unwavering optimism that there is hope that humanity will rise to the challenge and solve the crisis once and for all.

Note: This article of mine was published on the Luminous Landscape photography website in May 2015.

Songs of Silence

Introduction

I am a San Francisco Bay Area-based fine art landscape photographer. I have been photographing landscapes for the last twenty years. Since 2009, I have exhibited my fine art photographs in numerous solo and group exhibitions, including the venerable Center for Photographic Art, originally founded by Ansel Adams and at the Sunset Cultural Center in Carmel Valley, California. Since 2009, my fine art photographic prints have been widely collected.

Motivation

For many years, I have been a frequent reader of the Luminous Landscape website and benefited from its articles in numerous ways. I think it is my turn to give something back to the photographic community. With the advent of digital technologies, these days it is rather easy to capture a technically good photograph. There are numerous books and articles available on this subject. However, creating a photograph that is also a fine work of art is truly difficult. It has very much to do with one’s “vision.” However, when I look back at my last twenty years of photographic career, I see there are a few emerging themes that repeat itself in all of my favorite pieces of work. This article is an attempt to communicate these themes. A picture is worth a thousand words. Whenever possible, I have illustrated my theme with an accompanying photograph of mine.

1. Capture emotion, not landscape

Cloud Melody, 2010, Gorman Hills, California

When I started photographing landscapes, I would go to dozens of gorgeous places and shoot the landscape from the most appealing angle. When lucky, I would get a very attractive photograph. But it would not carry any personal statement. I would just act like a composition machine, applying all the rules I had learned from various books and magazines. After years of practice, immersion in other great works of art, and many photography workshops with renowned fine art photographers, I slowly transformed. Now, I tend towards capturing emotion rather than documenting a piece of landscape. I believe this trait has made me a better artist and will do the same for you, too.

2. Meditate before clicking the shutter

Dogwoods in Redwoods, Yosemite Valley, 2008

It was a gloomy day in Yosemite. It had just rained a little. The dogwoods were in full bloom. I was wandering about near the Pohono Bridge in Yosemite valley, hoping to capture some good images. At that time, I was using a Toyo 4”x5” view camera. Those of us who still remember the view camera would know that the mere inconvenience of setting up the camera would slow you down. Following the advice of my photography teacher and mentor, Charles Cramer, I used to carry a “viewing frame” to help me compose better. It is a piece of mat board with a rectangular opening of 4:5 aspect ratio. These days I use a Digital SLR camera, but still carry the “viewing frame” everywhere I go. It helps me see the photograph in its finished form on the mat board before I even click the shutter. Now, I was holding my viewing frame at different angles when I suddenly saw this composition. It appeared to me as a symbol of hope among the darkness and despair. Had I not used the “viewing frame” I would have missed this composition in the clutter of the forest.

3. Take many variations of the subject

Dogwoods in Fog, 2005, Yosemite Valley

It took me three years to take this photograph. I first photographed this dogwood tree in full bloom in 2003 at Yosemite Valley. The Merced river at the bottom of the frame, green trees in the background, and the blooming dogwoods tree caught my attention. I took several frames from different angles, but was still unhappy with the images. I went back to Yosemite Valley during the same time in 2004 and captured few more frames. Still, something was lacking. Finally, I captured this image in the spring of 2005. It was a foggy day. The hillside was suffused with this soft enveloping light that adds an inner glow to the landscape. I set up my Toyo view camera and looked at the inverted image on the ground glass under the dark focusing cloth. When I looked at this image, I had goose bumps all over my body. I knew this was something special, almost spiritual. Don’t give up until you capture the emotion in the landscape you are looking for.

4. Look for a metaphor

Last Light, Yosemite Valley, 2012

During the winter of 2012, I visited Yosemite Valley when I photographed this scene. What does this photograph mean to you?  On the surface, it is a photograph of falling sunset light on a piece of rock. But, be still. Listen to it. You will realize that it has deeper connotations. To me, it symbolizes the last light shining on the earth before the whole planet plunges into darkness.  Is it a sign of hope or sign of warning? The meaning depends on you and your world-view. But it is definitely more than a pretty sunset photograph of Yosemite. Always look for symbolism in your photograph that transcends the time and space and reveal an universal truth.

5. Bad light is good light

Winter Storm, Kings Canyon, 2012

I photographed this image in Kings Canyon National Park during a snow storm. I was hiking along a trail. Suddenly, it became dark and started snowing. Almost everybody hiking on the trail rushed to the comfort and safety of their car. However, from my years of experience in photographing landscapes, I knew these were the times when exquisite photographs are made. This is when landscapes are most expressive: transcending space and time, they become visual poetry and help us express our innermost feelings.

6. Don’t neglect your neighborhood

Morning Sonata, Los Gatos, California, 2009

It was a foggy autumn morning. I came to drop my daughter at her elementary school. When I came back to my car, I noticed these colorful trees radiating through the fog. I started walking down the street, looking for the right tree that would express my feelings at that time. When I came across this tree, I knew I found what I have been looking for. Fortunately, I had the camera in my car. I spent the next hour photographing many different compositions of this tree. Sometimes, you don’t have to travel long distances to create expressive photographs. It is there right beside you. You have to just open your eyes and heart.

7. Immerse yourself in great art

One of the most effective ways to improve your fine art photography skill is to look at the work of the masters. I go to libraries to browse the photography section. I regularly visit fine art photography galleries like the Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite, and Weston Gallery and Photography West Gallery in Carmel Valley. Over the years, I have built a sizable collection of photography books by Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, Wynn Bullock, Paul Caponigro, Eliot Porter,  Imogen Cunnigham, Ernst Haas, Man Ray, Jerry Uelsman, Shinzo Maeda, Christopher Burkett, Joel Meyerowitz, John Sexton, and many others. I have also associated myself with Fine Art Photography organizations like the Center for Photographic Art in Carmel Valley. This immersion in great works of art inspires me, shows me direction, and emboldens me to experiment with new ideas.

8. Expand your horizons

Homeless, 2009, Photographic Montage

After years of photographing classic landscapes, I grew little bored with repeating myself. I was creating expressive photographs. My audience at the gallery was very appreciative of the works I was doing. But I needed to break new grounds. This is when I started experimenting with digital montages. I embarked upon taking a new series of photographs, titled “Strange Tales.” In these photographs, I narrate the story of the environmental destruction of our planet through the eyes of a Penguin. This photograph was selected in the annual juried exhibition at the Center of Photographic Art in 2009. My suggestion to you is this: Do not get trapped in a single line of work. When you mastered a specific style, created a loyal audience of your work, it is time to try something new. I can promise that it will enliven you.

About Arup Biswas

Arup Biswas has been photographing landscapes for the last twenty years. Since 2009, his fine art photographs have been exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions, including the venerable Center for Photographic Art juried exhibition and solo exhibition at the famous Sunset Cultural Center, both in Carmel Valley. Arup is represented by the Main Gallery in Redwood City, California. You can find the complete portfolio of Arup’s works at his website www.arupbiswas.com.  Arup would like to hear your comments regarding this article or any other topic at arup@arupbiswas.com. Arup holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India.

We arrived at the house on the Oregon coast on the evening before Thanksgiving. After ten hours of driving we were all tired, looking for a place to rest. We would spend the next  four nights at this house. Our group consisted of Pampa, my wife, Riti, my teenage daughter, and our dear friends Joy and Priti. At first glance, the location looked quite ordinary. I was expecting a vibrant river just across the house. Instead I found a branch of the main river without much water. We were looking for a beach front house, but it was too late for the Thanksgiving event. All the good houses were unavailable. Then we found this house just across the Coquille river. “You’ll love this place,” the owner of the house assured us. But after arriving at the place, I was not impressed.

The next morning, I woke up to loud voices from downstairs. I came down from our bedroom upstairs. Priti shouted, “Arup-da, just step outside and take a look, how beautiful it is!” I grabbed my camera bag and tripod and stepped outside.

What I saw was undescribable. The quite ordinary place of the evening before had been transformed by the first light of the sun breaking through the dense mist hanging over the forest behind the river. Part of the river was reflecting warm golden light. I was looking for a vantage point to capture the scene from a low angle. I went down to the riverbank and started capturing the scene. Suddenly, I noticed this duck swimming across the river, making all these beautiful ripples on the water. I waited for the duck to be at the right position on the river and took the photograph. When I captured this shot, I knew I had captured something very special, almost spiritual. I had goosebumps all over my body. I thought even if I die now, I will not repent, because I have had the opportunity to experience the intense feeling of drinking the exquisite beauty from mother Nature’s fountain! I remembered having a similar experience when I captured my most favorite photograph, “Dogwoods in Fog”.

Afterwards, when I showed the photograph to Pampa, she would tell me, “This is the kind of photograph that brings tears to my eyes.” Instantly, I knew, I was successful in capturing a photograph that could appeal to a broad audience. To me, my work is successful when it can be enjoyed by a broad level of viewers with varied levels of appreciation. A great work of art, in my opinion, consists of many layers, offering something to everybody.

A 20″x30″ photograph of the “Dawn on the Coquille River” is on display at the Main Gallery along with nine of my other brand new photographs. The exhibition will be on display until October 14th.

Now that I have shared the story behind my most favorite photograph of this exhibition, I look forward to hearing your feedback!

Photographers are a strange lot. They would complain if they detect any deviation from the original subject in the photograph. They criticized Edward Weston for placing a sea shell in one of his famous oceanscape photographs. They did not count one of the finest photographic legends, Jerry Uelsmann,  as a legitimate photographic artist. The reason? Jerry would not confine himself with a single exposure of photograph. He would use his creative ingenuity to explore an even deeper truth by making composites from many different negatives.

No one blames a novelist for departing  from the actual story the novel is based upon, or the painter to use the color palette of her choice, then why the photographer is judged   with so much rigidity? I believe the reasons are manifold. First, photography is perhaps one of the easiest crafts to learn. It takes a beginner pianist many years of practice to  perform even at an acceptable level. But, photography is different. One buys a camera, reads the user manual, clicks the shutter and he is a photographer. There is a joke prevalent in the art circle , “If you have a violin, you just have a violin, but if you have a camera, you are a photographer”.

Notice, that I said, photography is an easy craft to learn. I did not say photography is an easy art to learn. Most photographers are preoccupied with the craft of photography, only a few transcend to the art form. Majority of the above mentioned criticisms come from this former group of photographers, whose vision is limited by their narrow world-view. Ansel Adams used to say, it takes ten years of practice to forget about the equipment. The creation of art is possible only after that.

Moreover, photography is used for a variety of reasons. Photojournalists use photographs  to document a story. Naturalists photograph the world for scientific accuracy. In both these cases veracity is of utmost importance. But, in fine art photography, the artists expresses his vision through the lenses of his camera. Like any other artistic medium, he should be allowed to use his artistic freedom in the creation of his art. But, people forget this distinction and judge the fine art photography with the same standards.

Let’s take a look at the most famous photograph by Ansel Adams, Moonrise. A total of over thirteen hundred prints were sold of this photograph. Though this image was taken after sundown, there were enough light remaining. But, Ansel chose to make the sky completely dark by burning the sky  area. Did he compromise with veracity? I don’t think so. I think by deviating from the physical reality, he expressed his vision and revealed a much deeper truth, his feelings.

In my personal photographic practice, I mostly confine myself to selective dodging and burning techniques to lighten and darken selected parts of the image to make a compelling     photograph. Not because I fear the criticism, but I feel those adjustments are adequate to express my vision. But, there are situations where the photograph requires a special handling. I present my recently captured photograph “Spring in the air” as a case in point. After applying all the traditional methods I came up with the following version of the photograph.

The photograph did not represent the soft and tranquil feeling I had when I captured the photograph, It looked too harsh and was devoid of any emotion. I remembered a special technique called “Polaroid Transfer”, film photographers used. It was a complex process to transfer the image on an alternative surface such as textile. The result was a softer, yellowish rendition of the original image. I applied the digital “polaroid transfer” on my image. Following is the final version of the image.

This is much closer to the feeling I had when I captured the scene. Please let me know which version you like. Also, this photograph, along with another photograph of mine, is currently on display as part the ongoing show “Oceanscapes and other views of nature” at the Main gallery. The reception is Saturday, June 2nd, 6-8 pm. You are welcome to join me and other artists during the reception.

Homeless

“Out of every ten visitors to my gallery, nine claim to be photographers,” commented the owner of a nationally renowned art photography gallery in Carmel Valley. “None of them want to buy a photograph, they all come to see how the photograph was made, so that they can copy the work with their own digital camera,” she lamented.

It made me think hard about the state of photography today. With the advent of the digital camera, making a technically perfect photograph is within the reach of almost anyone. So why would anyone buy the photographs of another photographer? After a little introspection the answer became obvious. Photography is not only about technique. It is about the message. Photography is a medium by which an artist expresses himself to the broader world, just as a poet expresses herself through her poems. Millions of people know the English language, but how many T.S. Elliots are out there?

Secondly, making a fine print after capturing the photograph is still an art that requires years of training to master. It is true that with digital imaging, the process of making fine prints has become relatively less cumbersome than making prints using traditional darkroom methods like dye transfer or cibachrome printing. But at the same time, digital methods provide much finer controls, making the bar much higher. With finer control at his disposal, the print-maker is expected to make an even more expressive print than its darkroom counterpart. It still takes a very long time to make a print that would withstand the test of time. I put about a year of retouching work altogether on my “Dogwoods in Fog.”

Moreover, with the newer capabilities of the digital medium, many photographers have begun to take a new direction. What photographers are experiencing today is similar to what painters encountered when photography was invented. With the emergence of photographs that could capture landscapes in vivid detail, painters needed a different subject rather than documenting the natural landscape. That led to the birth of abstract painting. Similarly, photographers today are experimenting with various techniques, creating new realities from their imagination, transcending physical reality.

Let me take this opportunity to introduce one world renowned photographer who is pushing the envelope of fine art photography through constant exploration of the new medium. Loretta Lux, formerly a painter, now uses the digital camera and Photoshop like a painter’s canvas to create idealized images of children who are so perfect that they look spooky. But one is able to keep coming back to her photographs to discover the metaphors one layer at a time.

The photograph above is one of mine that belongs to this fantasy genre of photography. It is titled  “Homeless,” part of series named “Strange Tales of the Black Bird.” In this series, I explore the environmental destruction of our planet through various metaphors. In 2009, this photograph was selected in the prestigious juried exhibition at the venerable Center of Photographic Art in Carmel Valley.

I wonder if the new trend in digital photography will make traditional landscape photography obsolete. Personally, I do not think so. As long as people respond to blooming dogwoods suffused in a thin veil of mist, or find refuge in colorful hills reflecting light through dark clouds, they will keep the tradition alive. Ultimately, the people are the final judge, not the art critics. Fashions come and go, but beauty is forever.

So, how would one explain the observation by the Carmel gallery owner? I think it has to do with the pricing of the artwork. With fierce competition from local galleries, big art galleries are getting hurt, with their huge overhead cost and astronomical price tags. In these hard economic times, people are trying to save money in every way possible, and art is no exception.

Thanks for reading this. What do you think about this subject? Please let me know your comments.