Panorama Nova Scotia

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

Hines, one of the top photographers in North America, combines two
interests in this stunning showcase collection: an appreciation for the
landscapes of his native province and a fascination with wide-view
photography.

The subjects are routine for a work on Nova Scotia: Bluenose II, sun on
the water, Mahone Bay’s three church spires, autumn colors, crashing
surf, delicate fog over Peggy’s Cove, pastoral farms. As pleasant as
these may be, it is not the routine subjects that matter but rather the
far-from-routine way in which they are presented. The 75-plus photos go
beyond great photography. Most are outstanding in their ability to
capture the tone and mood of their subject, to hold on paper feelings so
intense the viewer is drawn into the scene and can explore it with great
satisfaction.

The brief text concentrates on the history and development of panorama
photography and on the differences between panoramic and wide-view work.
Despite the title, this collection is of wide-view photos taken with a
6- by 17-centimetre camera. In a fascinating if short chapter on
composition, Hines shares his way of approaching a subject. Letting the
subject dictate the format and the composition grid are illustrated with
side-by-side comparisons of the same scene shot in different formats.
Wide-view work is assumed to mean the kind of horizontal compositions we
see throughout the book, yet on literally the last page Hines injects a
new burst of energy with five great examples of wide-view verticals.

What a dynamic book. It belongs on coffee tables everywhere.