Capturing Nature
Inspiration or background knowledge for judges? Author Vanessa
Finney possibly hasn't realised how her new Museum sponsored book
could be received by professional photographers.Capturing Nature - Early Scientific Photography
At The Australian Museum 1857-1893 might
sound a bit historical to a modern photography
world, but flipping through this book's pages, I
was surprised by just how many APPA Awards
over the past 10 years appear to have been
inspired by this type of work.
Originally utilitarian in purpose, like many
other genres of photography, time has a
tendency of turning record photography into
something more; sometimes art, sometimes
simply inspiration for other work. So even
though I was only mildly interested in the
history of photography at the Australian
Museum, I was very impressed by not only the
photographs, but their style and technique. And
yes, it's given me ideas!
As author Vanessa Finney explains, the
photographs of Gerard Krefft and Henry Barnes
back in the late 19th Century, which feature in
the book, were ground-breaking, purely from
a technical perspective as new techniques and
processes needed to be developed to record
in minute detail the Australian Museums many
specimens.A photograph of a flower would be simple
enough, but the giant flipper of a whale (let
alone the whale itself ) was quite another
matter.
So, as you flip through the pages of this
book, you can see how their practical solutions
have pioneered and possibly inspired the
work of many other photographers over
the decades, from advertising to fashion,
documentary to art.
And it's fascinating to read how the
photographers tackled new projects and
assignments, especially when you reflect on the
limited technology available to them. Certainly
makes our lives as digital photographers seem
incredibly easy!
The book accompanies a free exhibition
of photographs by the same name and is on
display until 21 July 2019. Head to 1 William
Street in Sydney, opposite Hyde Park.
The book has a RRP of $49.99 and can be
purchased directly from the Museum. You can
see more about the exhibition on its website,
but to purchase the book, you'll have to use
email: [email protected].NEWS