Hengki Koentjoro: Fine Art Surrealist Landscapes
All Images By . Used with Permission.
What makes black and white photography so important to you?
My work is in Black and White photography. With black and white, it gives me freedom to express my creativity, especially in fine art photography. Ansel Adam’s Zone System has taught me to see BW in more detail especially with the ability to “play” with the tonality of the medium. It is not only 2 colors; Black and White, but a totally different spectrum that consists of infinite shades of grays. This knowledge has allowed me to do many things in order to create atmospheric photography that accentuates the mood and nuance.
Another master of photographer that has deeply influenced my style is Michael Kenna. His sense of composition is second to none and his ability to create minimalist photography gave the impression that less is more.
I also inspired by Haiku, short poem originated in Japan, it teaches me to be simple and look at this world in the most contemplative way. Haiku is about nature and nature is the place where I seek my freedom, expression, and identity.
What inspires you to create photographs?
I love nature; it helps me get my sanity back. The ocean and mountain, in particular, have that mystic and mystery values that I look up deeply/highly.
Living in Indonesia is a blessing. Boast with 17,000 islands and known for their “rings of fire” where there are more active volcanoes per islands thank any other country on earth. I’m blessed with these playgrounds and I’m free to go wherever I please without any problems. It’s only normal that I love landscape photography.
Why is black and white photography so important to our future in the art world?
It all depends on the genre the photographer specializes in, and what they are shooting on a regular basis. My preferred genre is in the fine art photography and BW suits this style very much. In my opinion, fine art photography is a genre that is done in a personal, deeply subjective style; something that expresses the spirit of the creator. Rather than reporting what you see, fine art also embodies the character and soul of the one behind the camera and that makes for pictures that are very-unique and also very easy to distinguish from other photographers. So, I will continue with the ambition to be a fine art photographer, first and foremost.
