Afternoon light, Waikaremoana

The earliest photographs by James Chapman-Taylor depicted his architecture and furniture and were published alongside his articles in the early editions of Progress, New Zealand’s first architecture periodical. His photography was informed by the same Arts and Crafts values that shaped his architectural work and furniture design, including a belief in craftsmanship and the pursuit of sincere, thoughtfully made objects. He treated the camera as a tool, choosing the right camera lenses, printing papers, and exposure methods to capture images of depth and atmosphere. His photographs of Lake Waikaremoana evoke an almost meditative engagement with the landscape as he strove to reveal the landscape’s shifting moods and majestic atmosphere. His use of softened focus, tonal subtlety, and expressive printing to shape the emotional character of an image resulted in photographs that feel artistically expressive and handcrafted. In this way, Chapman-Taylor’s approach aligns with the tenets of pictorial photography -- an international movement that viewed photography as art rather than mechanical documentation.

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