New Topograpics was a term created by William Jenkins in 1975. It was used to describe a group of photographers who’s images where all similar, consisting of black and white prints of urban landscapes.

New Topographics was inspired by Albert Renger Patszch a German photographer, and the idea of new objectivity. The new objectivity movement, engaged with the world as clearly and precisely as possible.

Early photographers documented the natural landscape. The new topographic movement allows photographers to document parking lots, suburban housing and warehouses. Finding the beauty within the man made features.

The photos of man made structures, show how the natural landscape has been changed by industrial development.

Robert Adams

Robert Adams was born in Orange, New Jersey, 1937. He is best known for his photos that investigate the urban landscapes in the American West. He uses photography to show his love love for the landscape, and how urban and industrial growth has changed it.

Adams was raised in the suburbs of Denver, Colorado. In 1956, he moved to Southern California to attend the University of Redlands. He majored in English literature and carried on at the University of Southern California where he went on to earn a Ph.D in 1965.

When Adams returned to Colorado, he had a plan to start a career in teaching. However, the changes in the landscape shocked him, and so he taught himself the fundamentals of photography. He began capturing photos of his home state, showing his love for the geography and change in his home.

Adams’ photographs capture the physical traces of human life.