June 11 : 2026
Aengus MacNeil
Aengus's work is infused with a long-cultivated reverence for the American West, from its austere grandeur, its silences, and its unmistakable colors.
by Lily Fierman
Image: Sunset at Trona
Q:
Can you please tell us more about creating your winning image, “Sunset at Trona”?
A:
I had spent the whole day at Trona, scouted the composition I wanted for Sunset, and was rewarded with this very beautiful, soft light. Using my Medium Format GFX 100ii, I took a series of exposures, and whilst editing, the Color Grading was intuitive.
Landscape photography is the Yin to my Yang of documentary work.
Q:
The American West carries so much mythology for Americans. How does coming to it as an Irish citizen change what you see, or what you're drawn to photograph?
A:
I am an Irish citizen, but spent my childhood in England and grew up in the 1970s and 80s. We watched all the westerns. I was always very drawn to the American West- its landscapes and history, and especially the story of the Native Americans- so much so that I am currently on year 8 of documenting the Apsaalooke Relay Riders from Crow Agency, Montana, who compete on the North American "Indian Relay Circuit." This self-funded photo essay has changed my life. It started out as a creative project and is now more of a spiritual one. 2 years ago, one of the Crow Families that I photograph adopted me into their Family in a Ceremony in Montana. I approach this and all my work with Empathy; I feel before I see.
Q:
What brought you to Trona Pinnacles specifically? Was it research, wandering, or something else?
A:
A friend of mine had visited Trona camping and had posted some shots of the place, and I immediately wanted to go there. Landscape photography is the Yin to my Yang of documentary work. Where I have to be fast-thinking and have a quick decision process, landscapes is the opposite of this (slow, methodical), and walking to landscapes and hearing my body breathe and strain with the weight of my gear, and then, waiting for light for this shot. I waited over 10 hrs for the light to be just perfect.
Q:
From reviewing your work, it seems like you spend a lot of time revisiting locations or people to create your work. Was that true of this landscape?
A:
So, yes, I do visit and revisit people and places; it's a huge part of my documentary work. But this Sunset at Trona really was a therapy art trip, and I have only visited it once.
Q:
Do you think of this as documentary work, fine art, or something that resists categorization?
A:
I always approach everything from a fine art documentary style. This image, to me, leans towards fine art.
Q:
The treatment feels deliberately historic. Are you drawn to that look as a way of honoring the landscape's age, or is there something more ironic or critical in it?
A:
My work and editing style do embrace more of a vintage/nostalgic tone, and that is deliberate; it just deeply resonates with me.
Q:
Who are your visual references? Are you in dialogue with the great landscape photographers of the American West, or consciously resisting them?
A:
Ansel Adams was really my landscape idol as a young artist, and subconsciously, he still influences me.
ARTIST
