More Than a Rock

Preface

This then: to photograph a rock, have it look like a rock, but be more than a rock.

—Edward Weston

In our time, photography of natural landscapes is generally aimed at showcasing the inherent, objective aesthetics of natural scenes and subjects, interesting geographic features, majestic feats of light, and other naturally occurring phenomena. The idea of images as metaphors rather than literal depictions—although well established in painting and other visual arts—is often a revelation to photographers, and one I emphasize in my teaching and writing.

The above quotation by photographer Edward Weston is one I mention frequently as a means of distinguishing creative photography from representational photography. Creativity, by common definition, ...