Thomas Herbst
I am a geologist, a published author, and an award-winning photographer who loves nature and landscapes. I am self-taught and find nature inspirational, peaceful, and grounding. My goal is to create photos that immortalize the “best” moment of whatever it is I have placed in front of my camera.
“Photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place. It has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.” --Elliot Erwitt
A photograph should engage the viewer; therefore, my goal is to create visually appealing images through stylistic choices in exposure, color, and composition. I often like to use light and shadow to emphasize visual relationships that create pathways for the eye to follow. I enjoy contemporary landscape photography, using two approaches: capturing a pristine view of a natural landscape as well as balancing natural beauty with humanity's presence.
Unlike adding paint to a canvas, photography is a subtractive medium, where balance and simplicity are achieved through the exclusion of distracting elements. I enjoy the challenge of finding balance and simplicity in nature, even when certain elements are beyond my control, be it the location, lighting, or the weather itself. In landscape photography, Mother Nature always has a seat at the table. However, once all the elements that remain harmonize with one another, I know I’ve got it.
I am so grateful to have traveled to some incredible locations, many as part of my 9-to-5, with one of my biggest highlights being pulling lava from a live volcano with my own two hands.
Where the science of everyday can be rigid and calculated, photography offers a creative outlet that inspires me to travel and get outside. Like Ansel Adams and many outdoor pioneers, I strive to showcase the beauty of nature and promote conservation through my art, not as a record-keeper behind a lens, but rather offering an artist’s perspective.
For those interested in prints, feel free to email me at info@thomasherbstphotography.com, through my website, or DM on Instagram @thomas.herbst.photography.
