Photography Tutorial · 2020-04-16
Dialogue with Landscape Photography Masters | Enrico Fossati: Make a Simple Dream
▲ Asturias forest, Spain
Landscape photography is so fascinating
Photographers use their lenses to present a stunningly beautiful world
And those renowned
photographers who can be called landscape masters
must have their own unique growth journeys and pursuits, right?
So
I launched this interview series, "Dialogue with Masters" (《大师对话》)
and will purposefully interview 10 of the world's top landscape photographers
They have vastly different styles and lead their era
each with their own views and pursuits in photographic art
In these interviews
you'll get to know their more vivid sides
as they recount their adventures and inner journeys
even their troubles and choices
and, above all, their unique insights into landscape photography
I believe you will benefit greatly from this
This is the 2nd interview in this series
divided into 3 chapters
featuring the renowned landscape photographer
Enrico Fossati
Italy
Now let's step into Enrico Fossati's world of photography!
(All images in this article were shot and licensed by @Enrico Fossati; because some photos have licensing restrictions, they are displayed with watermarks)
- Meeting Photography -
Q
When and why did you get into photography? And what made you eventually become a professional landscape photographer? Are there any memorable decisions?
Enrico: "When I was a kid, I picked up a camera and started taking photos, but like many people, back then I just casually made simple records of life and travel. Later, at some point, I became serious and grew fascinated with the creative effects that post-processing techniques could achieve. My profession was an IT engineer, so I was very confident in using computers and editing software. One day, my colleague said to me: 'Why don't you buy a DSLR?' From that day on, my true journey in photography began."
"Around 2008-2009, I started learning the basic operations of a DSLR. From 2012, I devoted myself to exploring and shooting in the Alps and to focused study of Photoshop. In 2014, I opened a studio with my friend Erin Babnik, and from then on I began my real career in landscape photography. I've always been fascinated by all kinds of landscapes, and the feeling of exploring and shooting in nature is just amazing! So I've always felt that choosing landscape photography was only natural."
▼ Alps, France
▼ Rocky Mountains, Canada
Q
Does photography hold extraordinary meaning in your life?
Enrico: "Yes, landscape photography holds a very unique meaning for me. First, I personally love works of art, especially landscape paintings. Likewise, exploring the world to discover hidden corners is as thrilling as treasure hunting, so I think landscape photography is my way of painting. In addition, I love the primordial, epic natural scenes found in science fiction, so exploring and shooting natural scenes and turning them into dreamlike fantasy worlds in post-processing is the essence and source of inspiration for my work."
▼ Rocky Mountains, Canada
▼ Madeira Islands, Portugal
- On the Creative Path -
Q
What preparations do you make before each shoot to make your works better?
Enrico: "All my preparations depend on factors such as the shooting season, location, and purpose. Generally speaking, when the purpose of my trip is to create personal works, I search for information about the destination, such as whether there are suitable viewpoints, the position of the sun, and whether camping is allowed. At the same time, I like to prepare a Plan B, so that when I encounter bad shooting conditions, I have more shooting options. For example, if I'm heading into the mountains to shoot but the weather is very clear (meaning there are no clouds, which isn't good for shooting peaks), I can have other shooting options, such as shooting forests or canyons."
▼ Scotland
▼ Western Alps
Q
You have many stunning works across various scenes, but I have to say, including myself, many Chinese photographers are deeply impressed by your forest shots. Is there anything you can share about shooting forests? Does the forest hold special meaning for you?
Enrico: "Thank you, I'm very proud of my forest works. I have a unique, close connection with plants like trees, because besides photography, I'm also a hardworking gardener, haha! Just kidding. I have some advice for shooting forest photos: first, bring several lenses to cover a wider range of focal lengths, especially a 14mm wide-angle or even wider ultra-wide-angle lens is very important; a polarizer is also very useful, as it can eliminate reflections from leaves and capture more detail. Second, there are many streams in the forest, so waterproof boots or wader pants are very important - they let you easily reach more spots and find more interesting compositions. Finally, regarding weather, rainy and foggy days are the best time to shoot forest works."
▼ Madeira Islands, Portugal
▼ Asturias forest, Spain (please view in landscape)
Q
There must be many memorable experiences along the way in landscape shooting. Is there one that stands out that you could share?
Enrico: "Camping outdoors or exploring the wild is an exciting thing, and one night's experience left a deep impression on me. In the autumn of 2016, I was shooting in Canada. After sunset, we hiked back to camp and found some fresh, huge grizzly bear footprints on the way. I'm Italian, and I had never been in such a dangerous situation before. What's more, those footprints pointed in exactly the same direction we were heading! To this day, I still keep the photo I took with my phone that day. For me, this experience is unforgettable for a lifetime."
▼ Rocky Mountains, Canada
▼ Rocky Mountains, Canada (👈 swipe left to see the shooting and bear encounter experience)
Q
What is your most common gear combination for each trip? Although it's a basic question, I think it's also one many people care about.
Enrico: "For each exploration shoot, the photo gear I often carry is a set of lenses covering wide-angle, medium, and telephoto, along with some spare batteries, a remote shutter, filters, and a tripod. As for other travel gear, I bring a headlamp, waterproof boots, fleece clothing, a Gore-Tex jacket, a packable down jacket (if it's winter), trekking poles, rain covers for myself and my backpack, an umbrella, and a laptop for backing up photos, plus some spare clothes."
▼ Western Alps
▼ Dolomites, Italy
- The Path of a Master -
Q
Your works have a very distinctive style with a strong cinematic feel. How did you form your personal style, and what is your inspiration? Along the path of developing a personal style, what advice do you have for everyone?
Enrico: "Oh! This is a complex topic that's hard to discuss briefly. My creative inspiration comes from many things, mainly films and related arts such as landscape painting. This includes historical Romantic painters like William Turner, David Friedrich, and John Constable, as well as Hudson River School painters like Frederic Edwin Church, Thomas Cole, and Albert Bierstadt. There are also many designers or painters of our era, such as John Howe, the lead conceptual designer of 'The Lord of the Rings' and 'The Hobbit,' whose works give me endless inspiration. At the same time, my own fantasies and visions are also a source of inspiration for both my shooting and post-processing."
"Regarding personal style, my advice is to always shoot around the subjects you truly love and gradually cultivate your aesthetic sense. Developing a personal style is a gradual process that requires years of accumulation. For me, one very successful point is that I have always followed my true feelings, aesthetics, and inspiration in my creation."
▼ Madeira Islands, Portugal
▼ Dolomites, Italy
Q
In recent years, landscape photography has shown a kind of "fast-fashion culture" and "check-in culture." Many photographers deliberately go to the same locations to shoot the same compositions in imitation of master works. How do you view this? How do you think one can shoot truly original photos?
Enrico: "Oh man, what a hot topic! I think that in the early stages of learning photography, imitating the works of famous photographers is necessary - it helps you understand how to compose and how to make the right choices. But if you want to become a true creator who is remembered, you need to move past this stage as quickly as possible. The current trend of imitation is a direct product of the social media era. On these platforms, popularity is always king - even more important than the quality of the work or the meaning of creation. That's truly sad, and even worse, many people blatantly plagiarize and steal others' works for commercial purposes!"
"I firmly believe that continuous, in-depth study of the subject you're shooting is crucial, and it's the creative soul of a landscape photographer. A successful or even very popular copy may be beautiful, but it holds no artistic meaning. I'm not saying you should avoid popular shooting spots - they're beautiful and worth shooting - but you must have your own understanding and interpretation. And even so, this approach can't become the main theme of your creation."
▼ Iceland
▼ Rocky Mountains, Canada
Q
How do you view your current works, and how will you continue your photography creation in the future?
Enrico: "I'm always not quite satisfied with my works - I still have too much room for improvement, haha. I'm a very picky person and often criticize myself. In the future, I'll continue to strive to realize the visual works I envision, continuing to explore the ultimate world globally, especially natural environments like forests and mountains where I feel deeply integrated."
▼ Alps, France
▼ Alps, France
Q
Would you consider shooting in China in the future?
Enrico: "Oh, absolutely! A good friend of mine is in Shanghai. Working with him, I opened photography tours in Italy that accept Chinese travelers, and he has also invited me to China. I'm certain there are many scenes in China worth shooting."
▼ Alps, France
▼ France
Q
In landscape photography, is there a photographer you especially like?
Enrico: "I have many favorite photographers. In photography, I don't like rankings. I've seen many ranking lists online - they're very foolish and meaningless. I follow many unknown creators, but among well-known photographers, I really like these people: Marc Adamus, who is a leading representative of contemporary landscape photography, a leader of this era and a true explorer; Erin Babnik, a very good professional photographer with a clean shooting style; Alex Noriega, a true color master and post-processing expert; Ryan Dyar, whose works are very inspiring (to learn more about Ryan Dyar, click here); and Michal Karcz, whose works are outstanding and creative, making you feel as if you're in an otherworldly space."
▼ Western Alps
▼ France
Q
What is your dedication or belief in photography?
Enrico: "I don't have any personal motto or photography theory that I strictly follow, but there are some quotes I like very much. Among them, my favorite is a line from J.R.R. Tolkien: 'A simple dream is more powerful than a thousand realities.' This line also appears on my personal photography website."
▼ Western Alps
▼ Rocky Mountains, Canada
I hope that through this interview
everyone can get to know a more genuine Enrico Fossati
one who roams in dreams
follows his inner thoughts
and still looks forward to improving
Enrico Fossati
For more of his photography, please visit
www.enricofossati.it
If you'd like to read the original English interview
reply "EF英文" to the official account to view it
The next interview will feature someone from Austria
Guess who?
(The End)
About the Author
Liu Bai (刘白) / Yanting Liu
Nature and landscape photographer
Member of the landscape photography team Leading Lines (Eyexplorer)
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