For this shoot, I was inspired to do a similar set of photographs as Joo because I wanted to create a haunted and sinister atmosphere. However I also want to explore the beauty of the abandoned and derelict buildings to grasp a sense of what once was their and appreciate the past and memories which it entailed.

This photo shoot links directly to the theme of altered landscapes due to the fact the landscape has been changed and manipulated by natural disasters and human destruction. Although it hasn’t been altered through the editing process it still has been altered but for real by nature and humans.

Photo shoot Plan

Genre /  Artist – Landscape, derelict urban

Concept –  Capture images in the style of Johnny Joo

Location – Les Charriers Hotel

Props – Tripod to keep images sharp and in focus

Shot type – Landscape, varied angle dependent on subject matter

Lighting – Natural lighting for outside shots, light source to reflect light within the building.

Settings – 2 Second exposures with ISO of 200 as the light is rather dark inside these buildings.

These images are from google and of the hotel when it was in action and completely usable. I will try to replicate some of these images to give a direct contrast between how it used to be and how it is now.

Contact Sheet 1

I believe this photo shoot was beneficial in being able to capture the outside features of the abandoned building as the natural lighting was bright helping to illuminate the building. However i was not satisfied with the inside shots as many of them were blury, which had to be deleted. This was due to the darkness within side the building. I intend to re-do this photo shoot but focus on the inside features to convey feelings of horror and show the presence of humans without them being there.

Edits

Contact Sheet 2

Edits

Best image, Analysis

Johnny Joo gives the world a glimpse of places long forgotten through the lens of his camera. He is a photographer by trade but an urban explorer at heart. The scenes he shares are covered in weeds, moss and cobwebs. They serve as an eerie reminder that nothing lasts forever.

Joo cautions that viewers should appreciate the subjects of his incredible photos but keep them in mind also as examples of humanity’s wastefulness and the impact society has on nature.”It’s really important to think about just how much we leave behind,” the 25-year-old Mentor native said. “I want to try and make a change in the way people think.”

He’s photographed abandoned malls, stadiums, schools, hospitals and houses. His pictures from inside Mike Tyson’s deserted Ohio mansion and the decaying Geuga Lake Amusement have gone viral on the Internet.

Photo Analysis

This photograph is a true representation of the past. It represents a discovery of forgotten things which brings a realization that this place was someones past; the history of lives we never even knew. There is great use of leading lines and depth of field within this photograph. The layered chairs, which represent a sense of structure which once used to stand, helps to draw the audience to the daylight in the distant windows. I believe this small amount of natural light represents a feeling of hope that is left about the building. The carefully positioned chairs create a strong contrast and juxtaposition to the rest of the building which is completely wrecked and derelict. This use of contrast may be a reference to the atmosphere which once was present to how it appears to be now. Personally I see these this photo as a missed opportunity to help those who don’t have a place to call home such as the homeless.

As it’s commonly understood, landscape photography is representation of  untouched beauty of nature through an image. For example a pristine mountain range shrouded in early morning fog, or a peaceful lake without a human being in sight.

In Altered Landscapes we sometimes see meadows and mountains, but they’re not presented to us only as images of beauty. Instead, they reflect how the environment has been changed by humans—often for the worse. In the altered landscaped genre humans rarely appear in the photographs yet their presence is undeniable.

Not only are altered realities/landscape photos a reference to human destruction in our world and a juxtaposition of the standardized landscape photographs but, they could also be standard landscape photo that has been altered within Photoshop or another equivalent. I believe this style can produce some very interesting and unique photographs which are highly influential in allowing an appreciation for the editing skills as well as conveying messages and telling stories.

Hannah Höch was a German Dada artist. She is best known for her work of the Weimar period, when she was one of the originators of photo montage. Photo montage, is a type of collage in which the pasted items are actual photographs, or photographic reproductions pulled from the press and other widely produced media. T

he key themes associated within her work are androgyny, political discourse and shifting gender roles.  These themes all interacted to create a feminist discourse surrounding Höch’s works, which encouraged the liberation and agency of women in Weimar Germany and today. I believe that the concept of Hoch’s work is an interesting way to portray the ideas of equality. The use of overlaying  helps to give a unique and eye catching appearance to her work.

Mishka Henner

Mishka Henner is a Belgian artist living and working inManchester, England. His work has featured in several surveys of contemporary artists working with photography in the internet age. He has been creating image-rich technologies by the use of Google earth, Google street view and YouTube.

Edward Burtynsky

Edward Burtynsky is a Canadian photographer and artist known for his large format photographs of industrial landscapes. His work is housed in more than 50 museums including the National Gallery of Canada. He uses subjects that are rich in detail and have a large depth of field and a great use of leading lines. It would appear he focuses on capturing images by using a drone or perhaps from a helicopter which gives an interesting and unique perspective which really creates an abstract theme within his work.

The Boyle Family

The Boyle Family have worked across a wide range of different media (including painting, photography, sculpture, film, projection, sound recordings and drawing), they are perhaps most well known for their Earth studies. They are a group of collaborative artists based in London.

Psycho geography

Psycho geography is an exploration of urban environments that emphasizes the playfulness. Psycho geography was defined in 1955 by Guy Debord as the study of the precise laws and specific effects of the geographical environment, consciously organized or not, on the emotions and behavior of individuals. Another definition is a whole toy box full of playful, inventive strategies for exploring cities… just about anything that takes pedestrians off their predictable paths and jolts them into a new awareness of the urban landscape. The idea of urban wandering relates to the older concept of the flaneur, theorized by Charles Baudelaire and is similar to street photography.

I am interested in this style of photography as it allows for a wide range of possibilities as well as an enjoyable experience whilst capturing interesting images. Some go alone, others in organized groups or societies, some walk randomly and aimlessly, others have goals and approximated destinations and some even use algorithmic and logical patterns. I personally am interested in the style of walking randomly and aimlessly to in hope come across some interesting subject matter.

The generic conventions within Richard Misrach’s work is the environmental issues inflicted by humans. The photographer clearly has a negative view on how society is treating the environment and has a variety of work displaying the pure destruction of the environment to  try and insure people are aware of these issues. He  uses strong juxtapositions within his work to show how we are unnecessarily building structures in scenic, natural areas.

This is a typical photograph taken by Misrach in which influenced me to try and capture a similar message within my photographs. On a photo shoot I decided to focus in on the things in which ruined the environment and really are showing a sign of humans presence. Thus was to create a sense of destruction that we are doing to our world.

My Images

Richard Misrach is an American photographer firmly identified with the introduction of color to fine art photography in the 1970s, and with the use of large-format traditional cameras.

Richard Misrach appears to have been inspired by The New Topographic in the way he chooses to capture man-made subject matter in the style of landscape photography. For Richard This included coastal areas, lakes, rural areas and urban areas which were all depicted with a beautiful element however his images inflict this idea of destruction that us as humans has created to this beauty.

Image Analysis

The generic conventions within Richard Misrach’s work is the environmental issues inflicted by humans. The photographer clearly has a negative view on how society is treating the environment and has a variety of work displaying the pure destruction of the environment to  try and insure people are aware of these issues. This photograph is a clear response to the environmental issues within a lake or the ocean. I believe the photographers main influence is an indication of the rapid urbanization around the world and this is leading to humans destroying nature, plants and vegetation. As well as this photograph indicating how we are building unnecessary things which are destroying the natural beauty, it is also a clear reference to the Marine pollution and tells us how serious it is. The use of the juxtaposition between the wooden structures and the natural scenes of the lake and distant mountains helps to convey these ideas that we are unnecessarily building structures which are dominant in creating a distraction and almost disturbing scenes. I also am influenced by the use of isolation involved with Misrach’s images as they release a sense of calmness and a tranquil atmosphere.

Photo shoot Plan

Genre /  Artist – Landscape, Urban

Concept –  Capture images in the style of The New Topographics

Location – Town, Outskirts of town

Props – Tripod

Shot type – Landscape, varied angle dependent on subject matter

Lighting – Natural, possible use of flash or spot light

Settings – 30 Second exposures with ISO of 200 for light trails

Contact Sheet

Edited Images

Favorite Edit

I believe this image best reflects the movement of the new topographic in the way it displays an overcrowded array of lights from the urbanised area behind the fence. I have purposely used the fence to convey a sense of imprisonment that us humans have created by the building of these colossal structures that look down upon us. This image best relates to how our natural beauty has been ruined by all the man made features such as the lights which are a key element to this photograph. Where as this place would have once been a peaceful and tranquil environment with little buildings, it now is an energetic and stress prone environment. This links to the New Topographic movement taking over from the Romanticism movement. It shows how quickly things can change for better or for worse.