William Biderbost ~ foggy daze

These photos were made at the Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, IL where I was the staff photographer for seven years. After leaving in 2005 I find myself going back to photograph on my own since the moods and ethereal nature of tended gardens can yield some satisfying results. I have been particularly interested in the natural diffusion of foggy days since they bring a dreamier more surreal quality to the pictures.

publisher's comment: I find it interesting that William's photographs arrived accompanied by this statement, "I found your blog after being beaten nearly to death by sand dune and slot canyon
photos..." Interesting because William's obvious reference is to a subset of the many ubiquitous photographic cliches that crowd the landscape photography landscape, but, nevertheless, he has chosen to traffic in another photographic cliche - fog.

BUT, nevertheless, I find that his photographs transcend the fog-cliche due primarily (but not solely) to the fact that he has undertaken the task of exploring in depth the idea of "fog" and its ability to transform a particular type of landscape. Once again, like Mary D with her Fragments, William is working towards creating a series (or body) of photographs united by a common thread/concept - photography at its narrative best.

Comments

[Steve Durbin]

I especially like the bottom photo, which differs from the cliche in that there is no foreground detail to form the usual contrast. With that dreamy intervening pond, I get the impression of a floating world more above than beyond (especially if I crop the top 25%).

[Michelle Parent]

I too am drawn more to the last photo. It is much more "lost in the fog" to me than the others. It is very mysterious feeling and kind of "off kilter" in a good way.

[mary dennis]

I love all three of these images. I know the bottom one probably isn't a river but it flows across the frame like one.