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I am in the process editing a book tentatively called "The View". For a long time I have been interested in what it is that touches us - and it is something different for each individual - when we are somehow in the presence of a view that strikes us with awe! My thought is to ask photographers around the world to contribute a photograph of a particular place - for example, the desert, mountains, ocean, reflections, gardens, etc, etc - that has moved them in an indelible and deep fashion. I know for myself that since moving to Maine, I have felt in touch with what people may call the "divine force" as I look out on the harbor of Rockport, which is right in front of my kitchen table! I would be most grateful if you would send me a high-resolution photo or two (no smaller than 8x10”) of a "view" that has affected you deeply. I would also like you to send along 1-3 sentences describing, in your own words and in a simple fashion, what you felt or still feel when thinking about that particular scene. Thanks in advance for your time and perceptions! This could be an interesting project as there is nothing in the research I have found that answers the questions this book could possibly address.

I’d like to make it clear that I am not looking for a simply beautiful landscape – a picture postcard – quite the opposite. I am seeking to uncover what it is about certain places or photographs that, for some unknown reason, speak to our heart in an unforgettable and poignant manner. This project is about photographs that mirror something in the photographer’s inner life – images that are personal and powerful, yet perhaps not clearly understood, even to the viewer/photographer. I am not looking for images that serve the marketplace, or that are slick. This is why I have asked each photographer to write a short statement to accompany the photograph, describing exactly what it is that makes the photograph they have sent memorable to them.

This project could have a future global dimension as well as an exciting interactive multimedia presence online, which could allow people to share their thoughts, photos, videos, ideas, etc. on the concept, with a wider audience.

I am working on this project on a pro-bono basis. I am committed to helping raise consciousness about preserving our environment - this book will hopefully be a talking point that will allow people from many walks of life to see the importance of preserving places of beauty. Any profit that might be made from this book will be donated to an environmental non-profit group, to be determined with the help of the publisher.

I hope to receive a submission from you at your earliest convenience.

If you can think of any other photographers who might be right for this project, please invite them to participate as well.

Sincerely,
Joyce Tenneson