One of the most important British expeditionary photographers, Samuel Bourne was propelled by his great desire to travel to lovely, remote locations and to record images of what he considered picturesque. From 1863 to 1869, he worked widely in India, making three major expeditions to the Himalayas. He balanced the ordered, constructed architectural forms with glimpses of the majestic natural landscape. Bourne included a few people in the scene to add a sense of scale, but they are incidental to the subject matter and symbolism of the photograph, which stresses the dominance of natural forces.
Taking up photography in his teens, Samuel Bourne soon achieved recognition for both his superb technical skills and keen aesthetic talents. When he sailed to India in late 1862, he left a banking career to pursue his passion for photography . He hoped to use his camera throughout the country and to write about his experiences for the British Journal of Photography. These charming photographs demonstrates his creative ability to organize the random environment. His lively use of light and shade clearly defines the elements of architecture and landscape.
