Landscape Photographers Whose Images Inspire Me

I have spent about half my life being passionate about landscape photography. For that reason I’d like to share the work of a selection of landscape photographers whose images have had an important and positive influence in my life.

Inge Bovens – Gathering at Dusk

I appreciate landscape images I feel say something about the experience of the photographer who took them.  Mystery, drama, effort, challenge, fear, discovery, joy, peace, anxiety, exhilaration, freedom, loneliness, vertigo…all are human sensations and sentiments more personal and complex than a mountain, lake or forest. Yet, all can be communicated through a picture of a mountain, lake or forest.

The photographers in this list create images that speak to me in this way. They are also people who I feel I can relate to, even though I don’t know most of them personally, for the way they value and respect the landscape and have a thirst for exploration and adventure. A list like this is never complete. There are many others whose work should also be listed, more still who I will discover in the future and countless others whose work I will never get to see. I hope you enjoy experiencing the work of these particular landscape photographers as much as I do.

Charlotte Gibb

A native of Northern California, Charlotte has a strong background in art, art direction and graphic design. Her images are oriented towards the subtle and sometimes overlooked elements of nature, frames that celebrate form, line, shape, color, and texture. Her work in Yosemite is original and ethereal. All of Charlotte’s images feature delicate light and elegantly refined compositions which are a pure joy to witness.

Cath Simard

Cath is a Canadian-born travel and landscape photographer and digital artist with a passion for the outdoors and wilderness. After leaving her previous profession she spent 4 years exploring Western Canada, Australia, New-Zealand, Hawaii, Indonesia, Argentina, Chile and Peru. She has developed a bold style which oozes mystery and wonder that I really enjoy. She says that for her, photography is like a therapy that gives her a sense of purpose and self-expression. She often hikes solo for miles into the mountains of Canada, Patagonia and Peru to push herself both physically and creatively. With her work she says she hopes to inspire people to go outdoors more so they can get a better sense of how beautiful the planet is and why we must protect it.

Candace Dyar

Born and raised in Ohio and based in Washington State for over a decade, Candace has had an intense love for the natural world for as long as she can remember. As a young adult she became interested in the fine arts and went on to attain a degree in Art History. Her artistic background significantly contributes to her photographic vision and as an avid hiker, she regularly explores new areas to photograph. She hopes to provide a unique view of the landscape through her photography, and is passionate about showcasing the diversity of wilderness areas in their entirety.  Candace says she wants people to realize that wilderness is vital not only for the human spirit and creativity, but in order to simply exist on this planet. Her photos are rich, personal, perfectly exposed and masterly developed. They have a distinct painterly quality that I absolutely love.

Sarah Marino

Sarah is based in southwestern Colorado and is a well known full-time photographer, photography educator, and writer. She travels for long periods and works remotely out of a 25-foot Airstream trailer.  In addition to grand landscapes, she is known for her photographs of a diverse range of smaller subjects including intimate landscapes, abstract renditions of natural subjects, and creative portraits of plants and trees. Her control of light, texture and color make her photographs feel simultaneously otherworldly and refreshingly natural.

Erin Babnik

Erin is the person on this list I know the best. As a fellow member of Photo Cascadia, it should not be a surprise that her photography has significantly influenced me. Erin splits her time between Europe and California and her ambitious and expressive style of landscape photography embodies adventurous exploration, progressive techniques, and formal education in the arts. Erin’s dedication to photography evolved out of her years working as an art historian, photographing at archaeological sites and in museums for the purposes of teaching and research. Her masterful use of color and composition, her control of tones and light and her impeccably clean editing style puts her in a league of her own.

Patricia Davidson

Patricia Davidson is based in Oregon. She lived for over twenty years on the southern Oregon Coast and cut her photographic teeth on the beaches and in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. In 2015, she set off in an RV on an epic four year journey to photograph the American West. With a background in the visual arts and web development, Patricia devotes herself to creating images that express her artistic vision and passion for photography, and to sharing her love of nature and the outdoors with others. Her images are energetic and bright and I especially love her take on the Oregon landscape I know so well.

Inge Bovens

From the Netherlands, Inge describes her photographic vision as forests & fairytales: the things that dreams are made of. That’s precisely the experience I have when viewing her work. Each piece exudes mystery and wonder and transports me to a world of fantasy. Focusing her work within this creative theme, combined with her extraordinary talent for seeing light, color, dimension and composition, has made her one of the best forest photographers in the world in my opinion.

Colleen Miniuk

Residing in Chandler, Arizona, Colleen describes herself as a Corporate-America-escapee turned full-time freelance outdoor photographer, writer, publisher, instructor, and motivational speaker. She has served three times as an Artist-in-Residence with Acadia National Park which led to publishing the guidebook, Photographing Acadia National Park: The Essential Guide to When, Where, and How. Her body of work is bold, extensive and beautiful, but as an educator she says she is just as excited to help others learn photography as she is making her own images.  In 2017, she started a new brand for her women’s-only photography workshops called Sheography™.

Jennifer Renwick

Jennifer is based in Colorado but travels full-time in a travel trailer teaching photography workshops, exploring and photographing the American West. She says that, while she enjoys photographing landscapes, her real passion is focusing on the smaller details. I’m particularly a fan of her work with sand dunes and desert surfaces. Jennifer is a founding member of the Nature First: The Alliance for Responsible Nature Photography and co-owner of the Nature Photographers Network. 

Hillary Younger

Hillary is from Tasmania but is a bit of a nomad, having moved 24 times in 30 years. She says that she grew up pretty much alone, on a horse, in the bush…with a tendency to dream and to become lost for hours in such things as a flower, or the wind on her face. Photography lured her for many years, but only became an integral part of her life in 2007, merging with a deep love of the natural world. Her images are dynamic and often dark, with powerful lines and a strong sense of motion. I enjoy the dramatic light and moody processing that is characteristic of her work.

Isabella Tabacchi

Isabella is based in the north of Italy. She says she has always had a sensibility for natural environments but photography came to her life suddenly. Her work spans one of my favorite mountain ranges, the Alps, with special focus on the Italian Dolomites. I relate to her interest in adventure travel, which has also brought her to the Far East of Russia, Lofoten Islands, Canary Islands, Iceland and Namibia. Isabella’s phogotraphs feature bold compositions, dramatic light, careful attention to color and a sense of fantasy.

Thanks to these talented photographers, creative visionaries and intrepid adventurers for sharing a part of themselves with me through their photographs. My life and my photography is better for it. If you enjoy their photography too, share the love. Leave a comment and let them know.

Back in 2014, David Cobb shared some of his favorite photographers here on the Photo Cascadia Blog as well. Everyone on his list could also have been included in mine so I encourage you to revisit his article too.