Land by Fay Godwin | My Photo Bookshelf
As I delved deeper into the history of landscape photography, it was inevitable that I would come across some of the most well-known American photographers, such as Ansel Adams and Edward Weston. But what about the iconic British landscape photographers? Of course, we have David Ward, Charlie Waite, and my personal favourite, Joe Cornish—all still actively practicing landscape photography. However, in the same breath, one must also recognize Fay Godwin, one of the few professional landscape photographers of her time.
Fay Godwin travelled across the UK, documenting its landscapes through her lens. In 1985, she released Land, a book featuring photographs primarily taken in the preceding decade. This book and its accompanying exhibition cemented her status as one of the UK’s most treasured landscape photographers.
Author’s synopsis
This magnificent collection of photographs is a unique celebration of the British landscape by one of the finest landscape photographers of our day. Combining documentary realism with a poetic instinct, elemental forms with visual irony, Fay Godwin brings a distinct and individual vision to her work.
Paying tribute to the achievement of a ‘true artist’, the novelist John Fowles makes his own eloquent statement on art and the landscape in his penetrating essay.
My thoughts about the book
While researching Fay Godwin’s work, I came across the video I’ve linked to below, and one thing Fay talked about that stuck with me was her take on landscape photography and her dislike for the blue sky, green grass, “postcard” scenes. Fay tried to portray a “real” view of Britain’s landscape, sometimes picturesque, sometimes bleak, but always natural and always honest.
‘Land’ starts with a multi-page essay by John Fowles, followed by an introduction by Ian Jeffrey. From there, we get Fay’s photos. Taken over ten years, the pictures (kind of) flow geographically, starting up in Scotland, working down the UK, and ending with photos taken on England’s south coast. Along the way, Fay photographed various landscapes, some more picturesque than others, visiting locations such as the Scottish Highlands, Yorkshire, Wales, Wiltshire and Kent.
It’s evident from the photos included that Fay had a remarkable ability to find beauty in a wide range of subjects. Some are familiar, such as the sweeping natural vistas of Glencoe and the Lake District, while others are more unconventional, like a close-up of a cobbled road in Yorkshire or a rusted car partially submerged in water in Kent. This diverse subject matter reinforces my belief that Fay was less concerned with adhering to traditional landscape photography conventions and more focused on capturing an authentic, unfiltered view of Britain’s landscape, one she openly admitted to finding far more compelling to photograph.
With such varied subjects, one might expect the sequencing to feel disjointed, but impressively, that’s not the case. The images flow seamlessly, a testament to Fay’s careful attention to the book’s layout.
Fay Godwin (17 February 1931 – 27 May 2005) was a British photographer known for her black-and-white landscapes of the British countryside and coast.
Along with the video, this book has reminded me that landscape photography isn’t just about finding picturesque views of the world around me. It’s about capturing something I find interesting, regardless of social norms and by doing this, I can create a more honest and unique body of work.
Book Details
Softcover
Size: 260mm x 260mm
Pages: 160
Availability at the time of writing: Unavailable from the usual UK booksellers. Consider buying a used copy.