Samuel Finlayson
This project comprises a book of landscape photographs found in Western Victoria, 2019–2020, using black and white film in both 35mm and medium format. Over the course of several trips, I sought locations with a sense of solitude and silence that I let seep in and still my mind. The result is this series of photographs.
The landscapes found in the Victorian wilderness are not familiar to me as I grew up in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales. The rocks, the trees and even the expansiveness of the sky are distinctly different. This Victorian land feels ancient and weathered, with secrets held and stories to tell. It has a powerful effect on me, quite unlike anything I have experienced before. Helping me to see the hidden aspects of the land around me more clearly is the new ‘vision’ I have developed over recent years. The medium of photography has enabled me to understand what can be seen and what cannot — the mood, the mystery — and how these unseen qualities might be conveyed.
More often than not I am completely alone in these landscapes. The rare trace of human presence indicates a lack of its appreciation. This divides me; on the one hand, I truly enjoy the solitude, and on the other, I experience a feeling of tension and loss. What is worthy of appreciation? And what is missing from the places that seem to resonate with me? Most people choose to go to places where beauty is guaranteed. No mystery, no secrets. I’m drawn to overlooked landscapes because they possess a certain autonomy, a freedom from distraction and influence. To simply be. To move at the pace which is natural for the land beneath my feet.
Victoria I, 2019–2020
Photo book
