Forest Edge, Hokuto, Hokkaido, Japan, 2004

Esteemed British landscape photographer Michael Kenna, who once aspired to become a priest, brings that same spirituality and sacred soulfulness to his deeply reverential images of nature. Usually working at night or in the soft solitude of dawn, Kenna utilizes exposures that often last several hours, as a means of accumulating time and memories. Before photographing a subject, such as a tree, he will spend many hours with it, sensitizing himself to its essence, and often returning to it years later as a means of paying his respect. Small and delicate, in order to produce an intimate emotional experience, Kenna’s award-winning photos have been featured in countless exhibitions and museums worldwide.