Minimal benefits
Award-winning landscape and fine-art photographer Anthony Lamb talks to Peter Dench about his creative and engaging minimalist approach
Modern life can be frighteningly fast-paced and overwhelming. In a world of chaos and clutter, where everything is available at the click of a mouse, to understand what is essential and keeping it to a minimum can seem impossible. Throughout his career, landscape photographer Anthony Lamb has determinedly incorporated a stripped-back approach to his craft. ‘The world is only chaotic because of the way we choose to see it,’ he explains. ‘We see the world in such a large panoramic that sometimes it’s difficult for people to see the world in a more simplistic way. Simplifying what’s out there can be easier than you think; minimalism can be uncovered all around us.’
Lamb partly attributes his interest in the landscape to his childhood. While many families would head off on sun-guaranteed package holidays to Spain or the south of France, his travel-loving parents had a more bespoke approach to family trips – taking a hike in Scotland, exploring the Lake District and Jurassic Coast, an eye-opening trip to Tunisia, Africa, and contrasting trip to Chamonix, France, in the shadow of Mont Blanc which Lamb eventually climbed as an adult. ‘These places were heavily inspiring because of their beauty and the changeable weather,’ he says. ‘A lot of the time when we were hiking, it was raining, and that transpires into my work to this day. I tend to shoot in difficult and challenging conditions – storms, sleet, snow, and even dust storms. I find that much more appealing than heading out on a pleasant, calm blue sky day. For me, that isn’t experiencing all that nature can offer. My wish is to provide people with the emotional connection of what I see through different times of flux.’
Minimalist education
Lamb partly attributes his interest in minimalism to his schooling. ‘It comes from a deep root in my educational background,’ he reveals, ‘when I studied art and design at college in Stockport, Manchester, then furniture and product design at university in Nottingham. I gravitated towards linear designs, and I was always interested in a simplistic design approach, similar to that of the Bauhaus movement, classic examples of less is more. Much of my early work was black & white, using a high-key and low-key aesthetic to produce simplistic monotone images that capture a brief moment in time. This further inspired me to follow a minimalist route in my photography.’
Born in 1976, it wasn’t until he turned 27 that Lamb, self-taught, started to take his photography seriously; abandoning a career in sales, and turning professional around four years ago. Based in the United Arab Emirates, where he’s lived since 2011 with his wife and two young daughters, the desert was an inevitable lure for the minimal man. ‘When you first visit the UAE and exit the plane, you’re bombarded by awe-inspiring, but overwhelming skyscrapers,’ he explains. ‘It’s chaotic, but when you head out of the big city lights you can capture a new perspective of the skyline – the
overwhelming buildings now appear very small with a big expanse of sky above. So if you’re looking for minimalism, it’s still possible to find it.’
Lamb’s pictures of the desert are ethereal and calm, the composition exquisite. Carefully placed objects hint at a more hostile environment, a sandblasted tree or decaying oil drum. ‘When I’m in the field, I’m not thinking like a minimalist – looking for a single post or detail. Instead, I do a lot of research, find specific elements within the landscape that are appealing and when I arrive on location, I’ll shoot that particular subject. I’ll then look behind me, to the left and to the right. I’m not just visiting that location for one shot, I’m always looking for other opportunities. I’m visually sorting through what’s in front of me, I’m really looking and arguably seeing more. Minimalism makes you consider every aspect of the photograph. Everything present is more susceptible to being judged, so it’s paramount to get things as close to perfect as possible in camera.’
Negative thinking
The negative space in Lamb’s images is crucial to his aesthetic. ‘It’s optional when you’re shooting to consider utilising negative space, but don’t just select a blue sky as your negative space; contemplate the inclusion of cloudy or moody skies. This usage of space mustn’t be too simplistic, it needs to hold some weight and texture. Water can also be used as negative space, particularly when using longexposure photography. If you take a choppy sea that hasn’t been smoothed by using a long exposure, there’s a different emotion when you see it visually. It may make you feel more unsettled. Conversely, if you visualise a lake in the morning stillness, you offer a more peaceful emotion. Negative space is part of my minimalist photography approach and is why I continue to use it in the field. It’s also in line with my preferred aesthetic. Over the years, I’ve learnt how to use negative space to my advantage.
I call it positive space because what it’s doing is pulling an object, like a tree, into the environment.’
Heading to the coast
Living close to a searingly hot and inhospitable desert, it’s not surprising to hear Lamb’s latest adventure took him to the cold and wet coastline of Brittany. Several years ago, after seeing a few images of rugged huts and stone houses hunched on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, he scoured the land and sea periphery via satellite to find interesting locations. From around 80, he decided on half. Over ten days, he sought them out, shooting three frames of each subject to make sure the light, long-exposure and sharpness were captured correctly. He reckons ten to 15 shots have made the cut, maybe five or six will be acceptable and one may stand out. ‘I’ll be lucky if I can