A GREAT INFLUENCE

My experience with David Muench's photography dates to 1978, when I was an intern at Arizona Highways. I had studied photojournalism at Arizona State University and was used to shooting and looking at grainy black-and-white images made on 35 mm film. Walking into Highways, I was surrounded by 4x5 transparencies, which were the order of the day in landscape photography. Largeformat film and breathtaking scenic images instantly changed my world. And thanks to the editorial staff, I was encouraged to be curious and study anything the magazine had. David's first photos in Arizona Highways were published in 1955, when he was just 18. From what I can tell, he's never tried to compete with other photographers. He set his own course and worked alone. He would study places to see what they had to offer, then set out to capture each site in his own way. Because he set his internal bar so high, he would scout a new location, shoot it and return year after year to improve on the images from his original take. I have met few people who have the drive to produce his level of work.

shooting with wide-angle lenses in Monument Valley, David was using a telephoto lens, compressing the iconic buttes against distant mesas. Early on, I realized he had the ability to pre-visualize a scene - to see images in his head before he entered the field. This set him apart as an artist, and it also transported anyone viewing his images, allowing the viewer to become part of his narrative. the May 1980 issue of Arizona Highways.

I remember one time, in the late 1970s, when David pitched an idea about "sky islands." I was fortunate to be in the office that day: His level of enthusiasm was off the charts, and so were his concepts. He sat with the editor and diagrammed his vision of prominent Arizona peaks being thrust up from the desert floor, like islands in the ocean. But in his view, these truly were islands in the sky, and each was sacred to a particular Native American tribe. He went on to describe individual images, wrapping each around the concepts of time, place and tradition. It took a couple of years to complete, but The Sacred Mountains was an inspiring addition toof his professional life, David appreciates and honors the work of a number of photographers who preceded him: his father, Josef Muench; Ernst Haas; Edward and Brett Weston; and, especially, Ansel Adams. Adams, it turns out, put David's name on a short list for inclusion in the archives of the Center for Creative Photography - high praise from a visionary of landscape photography and one of the founders of the Tucson-based center.

Not only is David a student of shadow and light, he's also a student of seasons and weather systems. He would religiously map out trips to Arizona during the summer monsoon season, taking advantage of the massive cloud buildup and the ensuing thunderstorms. Photographers like David look forward to the seasonal shift because what appears pedestrian one morning can become extraordinary in a matter of hours.

Although he's made his own way and worked alone for much One of the most enduring aspects of David's legacy is his influence on other photographers. His style is emulated by people who don't even know his name. Consciously or unconsciously, people adopt certain ways of seeing and a style of shooting, and they have David to thank for it. It's almost impossible to imagine any landscape photographer working today who has not been influenced by David's images.

My first experience with David's work in 1978 was a long time ago, and I rarely view 4x5 transparencies on a light table, but I know I'm in for an incredible experience anytime I open an email from Muench Photography. AH