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the new topographics photoshoot
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Gabriele Basilico Inspired Photoshoot (New Topographics)
New Topographics Moodboard
Photoshoot Plan
Gabriele Basilico Inspired Photoshoot
For this photoshoot I decided to use town as the setting as Gabriele Basilico shows representation of both repetitive architecture as well as unfinished industrialisation. I tried to capture both of these aspects in this photoshoot, therefore I photographed contrasting modern and more vintage buildings.
The images highlighted in red are my less successful images as they don’t clearly imitate Basilico’s work or the are taken off-centre and create a slanted affect which juxtaposes Basilico’s crisp, exact photography.
I feel like the images highlighted in green are my most successful images as they have a closer representation to Gabriele Basilico’s work. Most of these photos relate more to Basilico’s work focusing on unfinished industrialisation, however repetitive architecture can also be seen.
Photoshop Development
To edit these images, I used the black and white filter on photoshop in order to achieve the vintage, monochrome tones that Gabriele Basilico is known for. I then altered the brightness and contrast to make the juxtaposition between the light and dark tones more intense. For the last image I used the crop and straighten tool so the image was more centred.
Comparison between mine and Gabriele Basilico’s work
There is both similarities and differences between Basilico’s work and my own work, the most obvious being the use of the monochromatic filter on both images. There are also similarities in the sense that the image captures new topographics in a more vintage sense, as the buildings appear older and more classic. However they are different in the sense that Basilico’s image is taken on a much larger scale, as the buildings are more iconic and noticeably larger. Overall, I feel like these images compared share a few similarities however if I was to recreate Basilico’s work again I would use his more modern approach of finding repetition and echo within industrialised areas.
Gabriele Basilico Study (New Topographics)
Gabriele Basilico
Gabriele Basilico, born in 1944, was an Italian photographer who contributed to the New Topographics movement with his contrasting industrial landscape photographs. Basilico orginally studied architecture before beginning his career in photography, where he started of taking images of traditional landscapes before transitioning to industrial landscapes which was influenced by his previous studies. Gabriele Basilico first became recognised for his photographic study on the buildings of Milan in 1982, with his series “Ritratti di Fabbriche, Sugarco”. This recognition led Basilico to be commisioned by the French Government to document the transformation of the Transalpine landscape, as well as helping to document the effects of war on the Lebanese capital of Beirut. The majority of Basilico’s work was captured using a traditional viewfinder camera with iconic black and white film, before he died in 2013.
Examples of Gabriele Basilico’s work
Analysis of Gabriele Basilico’s work
This photograph titled ‘Ritratti di fabbriche di Milano’, taken in 1978, translates to ‘Milan Portraits of Factories’, removing any ambiguity to the context of the image. At first glace, there is a lack of a colour palette, however there is an extreme contrast in tones. There is a rather simple, repetitive composition to the photograph.
The lighting in this image seems to be natural yet harsh. The lighting is being directed from the top right of the image, meaning shadows are casted from the same direction. I would imply that this photograph was taken later in the afternoon, as the sun is beginning to set. The brightest sections of the image can be seen in the almost-blinding white painted houses, which are contrasted against the darker tones, as well as the shadows in the image.
There is a strong sense of line in this photograph, due to the geometric shaping of the houses. The lines created by the draining pipes in between each house act as leading lines that direct the viewers eyes upwards, and towards the horizontal, jagged lines created by the roofing.
There is a clear use of repetition within this image, found in the repeated structure of the houses. The use of line is also repeated in this image, although the lines differ in size. However, there is no representation of echo or reflection in this photograph.
The majority of the represented shapes in the photo are geometric, for example, the repetition of lines and squares in the houses. On the other hand, there is little representation of organic shapes such as the tree branches in the middle third of the image. This creates a juxtaposition between organic and artificial shapes.
It is difficult to tell the depth of field within this image as the majority of the image is positive space, with the background being negative space there is no way of comparing the focal lens of the photograph. Nearly all of the foreground is taken up by the houses, which creates positive space.
There is contrasting textures within this image, as the houses provide a smoother texture in comparison to the leaves and tree branches that create a more jagged texture.
There is a range of tones that contradict each within the photograph, due to the use of shadows and highlights. The darkest area of the image can be seen in both the lining of the houses and the shadow that is casted in the bottom-right corner. This is contrasted with the lighter areas of the image, especially the white houses. Overall, I think the the image’s tones are rather balanced and the image doesn’t tend towards darkness or lightness.
There is a lack of colour in this image, as Gabriele Basilico’s iconic images are taken using black and white film. I believe the lack of a colour palette allows for the tones to be accentuated within the image, and create a more intense contrast between highlights and shadows. The lack of colour also allows for other aspects to be exaggerated, such as the use of line or repetition.
The composition of the image is rather simple, as repetition is used to a larger scale and the image is taken in black and white. The positive space that fills the majority of the image isn’t complexly formed and the other sections of the image are purely empty space. However the photograph does not follow the use of thirds as the image is not separated into three clear sections and the there is multiple focal points.
USING PHOTO-ARCHIVES
I’ve decided to use an image of Bonne Nuit pier to show the different concept of juxtaposing old and new parts of Jersey using photoshop.
Urban Landscapes: Eugène Atget
Eugène Atget
Eugène Atget was an French photographer who took images of the rapid disappearing and elements changing of Paris during the 19th century, best known for his photographs of the architecture and streets of Paris.
He began his career as a commercial photographer. Atget’s clients were primarily painters and sculptors which he produced images of architectural details, doorways, and antiques. He searched for abandoned gardens or empty courtyards for his subject matter.
http://www.artnet.com/artists/eug%C3%A8ne-atget/2
Photo Shoot Plan
| Who | I will be taking the photos and do not need any models as I will be focusing on the landscape. |
| What | Coble streets and old buildings. |
| Why | Eugène Atget photos are of the old paris streets and these photos will look similar to them. |
| Where | Location 1: Old street behind the Museum. Location 2: Old street in St Aubins. |
| When | I’ll go during the day so that there natural lighting because I want my photos to show the streets in detail. |
| How | I will be taking them from eye-level. |
Contact Sheet
When taking these photos I was focusing on the shapes created with the buildings, doors and walls in the photo and tried to make the subject (mainly the big doors) the focal point. To develop these further I will be adjusting the images to make them look older and more part of the 19th century like Eugène Atget photos.
the new topographics
“New Topographics: Photographs of a Man-Altered Landscape” was an exhibition that epitomised a key moment in American landscape photography. Many of the photographers associated with new topographics including Robert Adams, Lewis Baltz, Nicholas Nixon and Bernd and Hiller Becher, were inspired by man-made subjects. Their aim was to find the beauty in the plain and ‘ugly’ streets of America. It was a reaction to the conflict which took place over the late twentieth century, which saw outrage that natural landscapes were being replaced with large, industrial buildings.
FRANK GOHLKE
Frank Gohlke ( 1942 – ) is an American landscape photographer. Gohlke was one of ten photographers selected to be part of “New Topographics: Photographs of a Man-Altered Landscape”, the landmark 1975 exhibition at the International Museum of Photography at George Eastman House. During a career spanning nearly five decades, Gohlke has photographed grain elevators in the American midwest; the aftermath of a 1979 tornado in his hometown of Wichita Falls, Texas; changes in the land around Mount St. Helens during the decade following its 1980 eruption; agriculture in central France; and the wild apple forests of Kazakhstan. Gohlke′s photographs have been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art; the Art Institute of Chicago; the Cleveland Museum of Art; the Minneapolis Institute of Arts; the Amon Carter Museum; and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
IMAGE ANALYSIS
This photograph by Gohlke is entitled ‘Grain elevator under repair‘, which avoids any confusion about what the photograph is of. The lighting used in this image is natural and appears to be coming from the left hand side due to the way the various shadows are falling across the image. The brightest parts of the photograph are the white portions of the cars, which directly contrasts with the dark tones of the road and the shadows. There is a lot of repetition present in this photograph, which can be seen in the vertical lines in the background of the image, as well as the horizontal lines of the car tops, the workmen in the background and the pavement and road. The contrast between both the vertical and horizontal lines creates an interesting composition for the viewer, with each one seemingly juxtaposing each other. The shapes in this photograph are mostly geometric, for example the cement slabs on the pavement split up by straight lines and the large cylinder – like shapes in the background of the image. There is hardly any negative space in this photograph, as the whole frame is taken up by either the building in the background or the cars in the foreground. The smooth and slick texture of the cars directly contrasts with the rough and harsh texture of the pavement as well as the building in the background. Gohlke has captured this image in black and white which allows for certain features of the image, such as the contrasting tones and small details like the cracks in the building to be accentuated and exaggerated.
THE NEW TOPOGRAPHICS Photoshoot in School
The New Topographics are photographs of a man-altered landscape with the exhibition which includes the work of 10 photographers from the original show: Robert Adams, Lewis Baltz, Bernd and Hilla Becher, Joe Deal, Frank Gohlke, Nicholas Nixon, John Schott, Stephen Shore, and Henry Wessel. Inspired by The New Topographics my class decided to walk around the school and highlands college taking photos of the buildings and urban influenced building structures.
Landscape Photography – Rural and romanticism
What is Landscape Photography?
Landscape photography shows spaces in the world, potentially vast and empty, but other times microscopic. Landscape photographs capture the presence of nature but can also show man-made features engrossing on nature.
What is Rural Photography?
Rural Photography is similar to landscape photography but it captures life in the countryside and life living in a rural environment compared to an urban area.
Ansel Adams
Ansel Adams was an American landscape photographer and environmentalist. Adams was born on February 20th 1902 and died on April 22nd 1984. Some of Adams most influential and well known work was his black and white photos of the American West. Adams was one of the founders of a group known as Group f/64 which is an association of photographers who were responsible for photography that utilized sharp focus and the full tonal range.
Adams developed an exact system of image making known as the Zone System with his friend, Fred Archer. Archer was another aspiring photographer who was interested in portrait photography and before his death in 1963 took portrait photography of some of Hollywood’s biggest stars of the time.
The zone system was a method of understanding what tonal range was going to be captured when taking the photo. He knew what parts of the image would be the lightest and which would be the darkest. This helped him work out what the final image’s contrast would be like.
Ansel Adams Zone System
As you can see above, Ansel Adams used his Zone System to work out what tones would be represented in the different parts of the image and which would be darker or lighter. By doing this he made sure the images would all have a distinguishable contrast with dark and light and would create drama that would make his images so much better than other images taken at the time. The reason Ansel Adam’s images were so much better than others taken at the time is all to do with his reasoning behind taking the images. At first he took them without thinking about what he was actually taking and then he saw the image he wanted to take in his mind’s eye. He then experimented with exposures and used his zone system to see what his image would be like after he developed the image.
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and musical movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, and was most commonly found from 1800 to 1850.
Photo-shoot plan
To take the photos for landscape, rural and romanticism I will photograph a beach in Jersey. I will photograph the waves, beach and rocks from different angles. I want to take photos like Ansel Adams and photograph water in motion and maybe in black and white to show the real tonal contrast between the brightest and darkest tones in the image.
Photo-shoot
Ansel Adams inspired edits
To get the images above, I went through my photos from the contact sheets and found the best ones. I then used Adobe Light room to edit the images in mass so that they all represented Ansel Adams’ work.
My Final Image
The reason I chose the image above as my best/ favourite image is that it reflects Ansel Adams ideas about the tonal system and how the contrast between dark and light brings power to the image. The image is of a rocky outcrop and I made it black and white and edited it so that the clouds to the left are darker and bring tonal contrast.
Edward Burtynsky Study (New Topographics)
Edward Burtynsky
Edward Burtynsky, born in 1955, is a Canadian photographer widely recognised for his largely formatted industrial photography. Burtynsky’s work depicts natural locations of which are being vastly invaded by human industrialisation. His work is often compared to a unique depiction of the ‘sublime’ due to the extreme format of the over-head images. He formally studied graphic arts and photography between the 1970’s and 1980’s, and achieved a diploma in graphic arts and a BAA in photographic arts. Edward Burtynsky won the TED prize for Innovation and Global Thinking in 2005 and received the Governor General’s award in Visual and Media Arts for his collection of work so far.
Examples of Edward Burtynsky’s work
Analysis of Edward Burtynsky’s work
This image produced by Edward Burtynsky in 2016 is titled: ‘Saw Mills #3, Log Booms, Lagos, Nigeria’. The title of the image removed any ambiguity to the viewer as the title describes exactly what is in the image. At first glance there is a strong focus on repetition and the use of lines, also the tones in the image appear very earthy and almost dull.
Although the lighter sections are very subtle in this image by Edward Burtynsky, they are still visible when you look closer into the image. The lighter areas can be seen in patches surrounding the sawmills, especially in the bottom third of the image. The lighting of the image seems natural as it subtly produces highlights and shadows. The shadows can be seen in the same positions as the shadows, as they weave between the sawmills, producing cloud-like areas. It is difficult to tell the time of day that the photograph has been taken, although the shadows are casted from the bottom right corner of the image, suggesting the light is also coming from this direction.
There is a strong emphasis on line in this photograph. these thin, vertical lines subvert into different directions, but overall lead the viewers eyes from the bottom to the top of the image. There is no particular leading lines in this photograph, though the multiple lines lead the viewers eyes in the same direction, in a curved motion.
Although there is no representation of echo or reflection within this image, there is a strong sense of repetition through the use of line. These thin lines curve in a snake-like motion from the bottom third of the image to the top third.
There is a contrasting combination of geometric and organic shapes in this photograph. This can be seen in the straight-edged lines being formed in a way that they appear as an organic, curved line.
This photograph has a shallow depth of field as the lines in the bottom third are in focus compared to the lines in the top third. The image consists mainly of positive space, although there is representation of negative space throughout the whole photo, which is seen in the murky waters between the sawmills.
There is not a strong focus on texture in this photograph, but the textures represented could be said to be contrasting as the water has a smooth, sleek surface when compared to the sharp-edged wood planks.
The tones in this photograph do not have an extensive range, however darker and lighter tones can be seen, for example shadows are found in between the wooden planks and sections of the water are slightly lighter, especially in the bottom third of the photograph,
The colour palette of the photograph is made up of complimentary earthy colours. These colours are subdued and subtle, and consist of greens and browns. Lighter, white colours can be seen up close within the wooden lines. If the image was taken in black and white film, the tones of the image would be accentuated, however I feel like the image would be more ominous to the viewer, as the colour of the wood would be removed.
The rule of thirds is somewhat used in the photo, as the bottom third of the image is in focus but the depth begins to fade as the viewers eyes travel up the image. There is no shape formations that can be superimposed onto this image as the composition is organic. Overall I would say the photograph is balanced as the positive and negative space are rather evenly distributed.
Urban Photography
New Topographics
“New Topographics: Photographs of a Man-Altered Landscape“
New topographics was a term created by William Jenkins in 1975 to describe a group of American photographers (such as Robert Adams and Lewis Baltz) whose photos had similar banal aesthetic, in that way they were formal, principally black and white prints of the urban landscape.
It was created to highlight the fact that the usual landscape photography which showed the beauty of nature without any human disruption was fake. So, photographers went out and started taking pictures of things that were man made with the usual natural landscape in it, just not as the main feature.It allowed people to understand that humans and nature can live in harmony, without destroying views etc.
In the 1970s, cars were being used by more people.As a result of this, more roads,car parks and petrol stations were being created which meant that fields were being covered with concrete which some people saw as an eyesore.
John Schott 
Robert Adams
Frank Gohlke
Frank Gohlke (born April 3, 1942) is an American landscape photographer. Gohlke′s photographs have been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art; the Art Institute of Chicago; the Cleveland Museum of Art; the Minneapolis Institute of Arts; the Amon Carter Museum; and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. In 1975, he was included in the influential exhibition New Topographics: Photographs of a Man-altered Landscape, organized by the International Museum of Photography at George Eastman House. His photographs are held in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art; the Metropolitan Museum of Art; the International Museum of Photography at George Eastman House; the Canadian Center for Architecture; the Art Institute of Chicago; the Amon Carter Museum; and the Walker Art Center.
https://www.howardgreenberg.com/artists/frank-gohlke
This image by Gohlke is a good example of New Topographics. The image includes the industrial side of Texas, however you can see a lightning bold in the top right hand corner of the image. Some could say that its nature reminding people it is still there. However, some could say that no matter what we put onto this earth, nature will almost always be present.