MASTER OF THE ART

JEFF KIDA: In your 25 years with the magazine, you saw a lot of David's work. How did his style change over the years? PETER ENSENBERGER: I wouldn't necessarily say there was a “change” in David's style, but I did see a progression in his work. David was always open to new approaches to his photography, and he was willing to experiment. Over those 25 years, I noticed more of a subtle evolution in his style than a palpable change.

Forced-perspective compositions have always been his signature landscape style, and that hasn't changed. Mastery of the 4x5 view camera and super-wide-angle lenses were his trademarks. David always pushed his equipment to the very edge of what it was capable of doing to capture the drama of the moment. Impeccable composition and sharp detail have been distinctive characteristics of David's photographic style for as long as I've known him. But he allowed himself to explore new ways of seeing the landscape. For example, in the 1980s and '90s, David surprised a lot of his competitors and emulators by incorporating fill flash and light-painting into his images, to bring emphasis to important elements in the foregrounds of his “near-far” landscapes. This allowed him to work in very low light with slow, fine-grained film and still bring out the details in high definition [see opposite page]. David's approach took another twist when he added digital to his repertoire.

Initially, when he got his first digital camera, David used it a lot for what he called “sketching” with the camera. Compared with his slow and cumbersome view camera, the portability and immediacy of digital seemed to excite him, allowing him the freedom to explore more possibilities with every subject. David's fine-tuned eye for great composition got even better with the ability to see his images immediately. I have to admit being more than a little surprised when David told me he had a digital camera and was enjoying this new process of image-making. He embraced digital early on, and it was fun to see his renewed passion for Nature and the landscape.

JK: What was it like to work with David? Did you offer him assignments? Or did he pitch story ideas to you? PE: David travels a lot, as is the case with all good landscape photographers, and he visits places he wants to see and photograph. He's passionate about the most recent place he's been or the next place he's going to experience. So it was rare that I'd go to him with an assignment. He always had a list of stories and portfolio ideas that he wanted to work on. And David also had lots of ideas for large-format coffee-table books. I was lucky enough to have worked on several Arizona Highways book projects with him, and each one is a work of art that I cherish. David's years of experience and accomplishment put him in a position where he can call his own shots, and Arizona Highways is the happy beneficiary of his great work.

My favorite of David's Arizona Highways book projects is Vast & Intimate. And I believe it showcases his first published digital photography, displayed on the pages alongside his large-format photography. In a way, the book sums up what David's photographic style seeks to accomplish — giving the viewer a sense of infinity and intimate detail, all at once.

JK: What can you tell us about David's philosophy and approach to landscape photography, as well as his wilderness ethics?

PE: I think it's a chicken-and-egg thing. I'm not sure which came first for David - his love of the world's wondrous places, or his need to photograph them. David has a gift for finding art in nature. He has this strong desire to connect with the natural world, to artfully interpret it and to share it with the rest of us. David's stunning images of wilderness and nature usually need no words to describe them. It's all there to see. He communicates passionately about these places through his photographs, and weall understand what he's trying to say. As a young boy, David traveled with his father, Josef Muench, on photography trips all over this country. I'm sure David was inspired by the beautiful places he saw. His insight and sensitivity for the spirit of the land developed at an early age. David saw the connection between photography and wilderness preservation, and he worked hard to make his photography purposeful to that end. His images champion the strength and beauty of wilderness. David has always tried to be an advocate for endangered ecosystems. By exposing the fragile beauty of these places, his artistry makes the case forpreserving them. And I think he's succeeded very well at doing just that. His work plays an important role in winning over the hearts and minds of the public to protect these wild places and safeguard them for future generations.

JK: What set David apart from the other talented photographers you worked with?

PE: I marvel at David's prolific ability to produce dynamic and dramatic landscape compositions again and again. His skill at the near-far technique has a way of pulling me in for a closer look and forcing me to become emotionally involved with his subjects.

The elements that set David's work apart come from three different places. First is the technical excellence of his photographs. His skill with a view camera is second to none. Also, he keeps tight control over the images he sends out for publication. When David sent me a stock submission, I saw only the very best of his 4x5 transparencies.

Second, David celebrates light. He's always out there patiently waiting for perfect atmospheric conditions to settle over a scene before capturing a dramatic moment at its peak. He works hard to be in the right place at the right time, striving to work in the best possible conditions, to show a subject in the best light. Poring over his images on my light table was a lesson in landscape photography. Viewing his work made me a better photographer. Also, David puts a lot of effort into finding remote locations where he can discover something original. He never settles for the mundane or the ordinary.

And third, David's photographs have a lot to say about his subjects. He has refined his skill at communicating visually. A David Muench photograph expresses a sense of place, a point of view, an emotion. It captures the mood that he was feeling at the moment he made the image. That's a combination that's hard to beat. AH