Michael Kenna

Michael Kenna seems to prefer photographing landscapes or objects he finds in the environment. All of his professional photographs appear to be done in black and white. Whether it's a nature scene or a cityscape, the majority of them lack any human presence. His photographs are largely divided in series of where they were taken or a prevailing subject matter such as India or Birds. The travel theme really resonates with me.

His photographs are framed at unusual angles or distances. Very few are directly facing the scene being captured. Many of his photographs have a shadowy haze encroaching from the corners. This haze is present in the images that were taken straight on as well. This combination of factors give his work an ethereal feeling, like theres something more to them than we see. 


I personally find Kenna's work to be really interesting. He takes pieces of the world and makes them feel like something separate. They're undeniably real places and yet they feel almost dreamlike. They feel like a place for the viewer alone to explore, inviting yet empty. Even the pictures of famous sights like the Tajmahal feel off in interesting ways.