Joe Cornish

Joe Cornish,  born in Exeter, 1958.  He studied art at Reading University, where he first became interested in photography.  He graduated in 1980 and worked as an assistant for four years in London and Washington DC.

In 1986 his early travel and landscape photography was accepted into Charlie Waite's photolibrary, Landscape Only.   From 1986 to 1995 Joe was responsible for either all or the majority of the photography in more than thirty travel books; these years were the proving ground for the landscape work that was to follow.

In 1991 he went to Alaska with Raleigh International as expedition photographer. Alaska inspired Joe's commitment to wild places and wilderness. He undertook his first job for the National Trust in 1990 and he continues to work freelance for them. Joe believes photography plays a vital role as an advocate for environmental protection.

Joe has contributed to and published many books over his long career and The Joe Cornish North Allerton gallery holds a permanent exhibition of Joe's work, as well as his print archive.

In 2006 Amateur Photographer honoured him with their annual Power of Photography award, and in 2008 he was made an honorary Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society.



A photograph from the 'Water and Stone: Essence of Yorkshire' series



Bamburgh Castle at nightfall

I find the following quote from Joe's website very inspiring:

"To my way of thinking, photography and landscape matter much more than I do. I want my work to value, honour and connect with landscape; I do not want it to draw attention to me personally. But therein lies a contradiction, for without the aesthetic signature of an individual vision, photographs are rarely compelling. I remain convinced that themes from nature are never exhausted. Continuing to develop a language of light and form that illuminates the subject without drawing too much attention to me, the photographer, remains at the heart of my mission"