Despite all the debate that’s gone on around photography - is it art? One reference that comes up again and again is the fact that some photos don’t look like photos. Or maybe that they have a painterly feel. I do feel drawn to those types of images. Is it because they don’t rely on the cliche of postcard type of images with their bright sunsets and oversaturated nature scenes? Yes, to a large extent. For years I’ve been chasing the colour style that doesn’t represent modern digital photography. I’m fairly happy where I’ve landed with that. Muted tones and subtle lighting reminiscent of some artists from the mid 1800s add to the painterly effect.

When I first began seriously with photography, I noticed that scenes that landscape artists used to paint were not what most photographers that I knew were interested in. Everyday farm scenes or somewhat undramatic landscapes with soft lighting. This is not what camera companies are promoting after all. Fuji and others have thrown out a wider net by providing a variety of colour profiles or styles. Applying an appropriate style to a particular image is another challenge. It may be late in the day, but I would still like to paint some of these images by hand.