The Visionary Landscape – Photography by Guy Tal

• By: Christopher O'Donnell

Award-winning photographer and brilliant educator Guy Tal is well-known among the landscape photography world. His landscapes are instantly recognizable, and it’s easy to see why – Guy’s blend of color, composition, and perspective combined with his technical knowledge with the camera make him a true master in his field.

In addition to his outstanding work, his role as an acclaimed photography teacher is one that many have benefited from. Guy has a rare talent for putting photography into perspective, giving you a fresh set of eyes that heightens your creative awareness to the natural beauty which surrounds you. When I read his one of his eBooks, Creative Landscape Photography, I was astounded by how poignant and introspective it was. Photographers of any level can apply his thoughts and teachings to their own work, and continue to evolve.

Whether you attend one of his invaluable workshops, or read his collection of photography eBooks, you will most definitely walk away with a new perspective and a drive to push your creative limits.

Guy describes his work below:

“It’s a strange business I’m in; one often misunderstood. There’s no real word for what I do and maybe it’s time to put a name to it. My job is to be inspired. I make my living conveying the inspiration I find to others, in various ways. I photograph, I write, I teach, I interact. What does that make me? My photography is not about photographs; my writing is not about words; my teaching is not about facts; and my interactions are not about being social. There’s a higher purpose – the experience. Am I an experiencer?

I’ve been called a nature photographer, a landscape photographer, an author, an artist. In my mind, none of them truly describes what I do. I know nature photographers; I know travel photographers and adventure photographers and landscape photographers; I know writers and authors. What they do is not what I do.

I don’t make things for a living. I live for a living. I am myself for a living. I seek beauty for a living. I think and contemplate for a living. I experience for a living. Seems so easy and obvious to me, and yet there is no term for it. In our society, it seems, you have to be defined by your job title. When meeting new people I can usually count on “what do you do?” being one of their first questions as they form their perception of me. To date I believe I never repeated the same answer, nor do I feel I have given one that was readily understood. I do what I once thought was impossible and, I suspect, in most people’s minds still is.

When I try to explain, I am almost always met with skepticism. Can you make a living doing that? Well, yes. You won’t see me featured in Fortune or Forbes any time soon but when I add up my monetary income to the intangible joys of a free and inspired life, I consider myself richer than most of those who are. Livelihood may be measured in dollars and cents. Life is measured in degrees of freedom. Living is measured in meaningful experiences. Yes, I make a very good living.”

To see more of Guy’s masterful work, you can visit his portfolio site here, where you can also find out more information about his workshops, eBooks, and private instruction. He’s also active on several social networks, including Facebook, Google+, and Twitter.

• Category: Photographers
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