Wild and Scenic California: The Natural Landscape

The first time I saw this book in a Sydney bookstore, I was wondering why another title on California ? There is already a rich supply of quality pictorials from Adams, Muench, Wolfe, Neill, Rowell, and etc. What does Clifton have to offer here ? In the Photographer's Preface, Clifton elaborated on his intention to present his ideal of an untouched wilderness through this portfolio. On that point, he was close to success. I said 'close' because some of the images lack originality looking too much like picture postcards in a souvenir shop. For instance, sunrise by the beach like the one on page 46 is fast becoming a worn out subject. If you want to see images on coastal sunrise with a difference, look at Meyerowitz's work (Popular Photography, Sept 97). The image on page 44 is flat and blend. The sky is burnt out to an extent that it becomes distracting. Using black and white film would probably do more justice to the tonally rich but nearly monochromatic image of the Big Sur coast (p35). I also find the image of Mount Diablo State Park graphically wanting. In other words,it lacks a strong graphical element that can hold my attention. However, there are images that deserve merits. The closeup shot of an Indian Rhubarb (p17) demonstrated a skilful use of contrast. The juxtaposing of a doom shape rock against the distant Half Dome (p31) is original among existing images of the kind. Capturing on film bunches of blonde grass set against a bluish mountain range is the work of a keen colourist. Image quality is never a issue in large format photography. Every image in this book is pin sharp from foreground to background. Professionally controlled exposures allowed both shadow and highlighted details be captured on film (see p16, 24). Clifton's style seemed to be more in line with Porter and Muench. He concentrates on lines, shapes and color. To the budding photographer, this book can serve as a masterclass, but true mastery is still better seen in Muenchs' book, American Portfolios.