This photographer does the most geometrically satisfying landscape photos in the world

It’s often said that perfect shapes are not found in nature and are only present in man-made designs. While this is generally true, it does not mean that you cannot find geometrically beautiful shapes in nature. No one showcases this more than Li Ye, the Chinese visual artist and photographer behind some of the most satisfying landscape photos online.

DIYP: I couldn’t help but notice how clean your composition is, especially in landscape works like the “Spacious Xinjiang” project. How do you get such compositions in the wild?

Getting a simple composition is not an easy thing for me; I have accumulated experience through many years of shooting to accomplish this kind of style; if you browse through my previous projects, you can easily see how I changed with time. A project like “Spacious Xinjiang” was very difficult to shoot because most of the project was shot in the desert. It is in no man’s land, and it covers an area of about 3,000 to 5,000 square kilometers. In such a silent and empty space, it’s very difficult to find a very small part of it to shoot (especially as the wind changes the shape of the desert constantly).

Finding a small, localized shot is very difficult – both physically and compositionally. I generally look for landforms with particular shapes and configurations of lines. Landforms that the wind shapes both sharply and softly, and whenever I see one for a potential image, I stop and choose a position to find the perfect angle for the shot. The difficulty here is to choose the most stylized from the myriad of seemingly identical sand dunes. It often takes days of searching to find a satisfactory composition (luck plays a big part, of course).

Because of the weather, the shape changes almost every day and has to be captured quickly and accurately. The compositions I hope to achieve are those that have obvious geometric structures, which I think is one of the magical aspects that nature has given us, such as naturally occurring square triangles, geometric ribbons of soil with different textures, or natural symmetry (including symmetry in the relationship between light and darkness, or symmetry in color). These are all subjects I like to photograph. Finally, patience is one of the most important things in photography.

DIYP: From your work, I can tell you travel quite far and often for projects. How do you plan your photoshoot trips?

I’m currently writing for National Geographic and Travel Magazine, and my main focus is on people and portraiture, as well as the minimalist landscapes you see here, so I spend most of the year on the road. Before each trip, I will consult a lot of local information to understand the local characteristics of the people and landscapes, as well as the changes brought by different seasons and weather, and sometimes go through a lot of movies, novels, and other different works about the region in advance, and prepare one or more shooting themes (the themes may sometimes be adjusted according to the actual situation).

For “Spacious Xinjiang”, before I went to the desert to shoot, the general themes were color blocking, balance, texture, painting, order, and so on. You may notice that some of the photographs were taken with the same theme. You may notice that some of the photographs are in several color blocks, and some are monochromatic, but they all had a common theme before I took the photographs. I want the viewer to feel a sense of calm and stability through my photographs, bringing order to a busy scene.

DIYP: Lastly, I noticed you alternate between film and digital. What gear do you use and why?

I use digital cameras because they are fast and easy to use, and the RAW format allows a lot of creative freedom. I also use film cameras because I like the colors and textures of film. I like to use film for human portraits. Landscapes are shot with a digital camera because of the higher resolution and better textural detail. Medium-format film cameras can do landscapes, but they require special film processing, scanning, and enlarging, which is a bit difficult for me.

Digital camera: Nikon D850 + 28mm F1.4E + 70-200mmF2.8G

Film cameras: Nikon FE2 + Ais 28mm F2.8 + Ais 35mm F1.4 + Ais 50 F1.2

Film camera: Mamiya 7II + 80/4L

Editors note: Reading Li Ye’s gear list was a pleasant surprise. I love using a lot of the same gear he uses, such as the Nikon 35mm f/1.4 Ais, which I recently took on a unique INSTAX adventure in NYC with the Nons SL660.