What: This shoot represents the view of abandoned places how they are merge with nature, and how nature can always find the way to fight and continue growing . When: I decided to do the shoot in the middle of the day to full appreciate nature in all its glory. Why: As in my last shoot, Im trying to make aware of the damage we are doing to the planet and especially show how nature is wise and we dont know how to respect it.
Contact Sheets
FirstSelection
Comparison
Yves Marchand & Romain Meffre
Carmen Kirchner
Both of the images are taken from the outside so there’s use of natural lights, the light is soft. The main thing on the two images are the buildings covered in green, the nature that continues to grow on these buildings. The shapes are not the same, Yves Marchand & Romain Meffre have geometric shapes on their image since the building is a repetitive pattern of rectangles mine on the other hand there more organic shapes since the rocks on the building are curvy. However in my picture, the contrast between the lights and the shadow on the building create straight edged so geometric shapes. In Yves Marchand & Romain Meffre’s image we can see shade in the building which creates depth and creates more space. There’s also negative space above the building since the photographers decided to take picture of the sky as well on the contrary of my picture in which we do not find a lot of negative space. On both of the images we can find to types of texture one soft (plants) and the other as strong as a rock we can recognize these textures by the soft lines on the plants while the buildings and the stones have stronger lines. The colour pallets are roughly the same we find grey, different types of green, blue, brown, yellow…
Darian is a painter and visual artist who is known for his unique and abstract approach to painting. He is best recognised for his signature bubble wrap style where he paints a bubbles over a portrait giving the image added texture and effect. He attended an art school in Cuba for 2 years and then finished his degree at San Alejandro in Havana.
Nick Fancher
Nick Fancher is a photographer, author, and educator who specialises in dramatic lighting, where he often employs the use of bold colours and experimental camera techniques. He is particularly known for his efficient method of working, which is with the use of minimal gear, often in unconventional locations. Nick graduated from Ohio State with a BFA in photography in 2005 and has authored several books on his techniques
Hendrik Kerstens and Vika Pobeda
Hendrik Kerstens is a Dutch photographer who photographs his daughter Paula. He began a series of photographing his daughter’s life, initially capturing her in everyday poses and attire, documenting intimate moments. He gradually expanded his photography to create carefully composed portraits that refer to the works of the Dutch Old Masters and the Italian Renaissance. These images use everyday items as props, such as a dishtowel or cream standing in for a maiden’s cloth and wig, and still rely on Paula as his primary subject
Vika Pobeda is a photographer and videographer who is known for her commercial work for different companies. She is known for her portraits and colourful advertising work.
The current geological age, viewed as the period during which human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment.
This is an important topic to focus on due to the fact that the decisions we make in our everyday lives can have a major impact on our planet without us even noticing until it’s too late. For example buying things that are made from non-biodegradable plastics which then causes landfills to grow and they then burn it releasing harmful chemicals in the air. Even some plastics end up in the ocean which harms the aquatic animals. Some fish eat micro-plastics which then kill them because they thought that they were eating; however they never got nutrition so they therefore die of starvation. They may also get caught by fishermen, this then leads to the micro-plastics that could have been in the fish, going into the human who is eating that fish. The world of plastic is a vicious cycle which may end up killing us all.
A group of photographers, Union of Concerned Photographers, are trying to spread the word around the world about how we are endangering ourselves and destroying our planet through selfishness and greed. This links to deforestation, where humans are destroying rain forests and woodland areas so that we can build new houses or shopping centers on them. Again, we are essentially shortening our own lives by doing this. Trees produce oxygen through photosynthesis which is what we need to survive. Through photosynthesis they also take in carbon dioxide which is what we breath out during respiration. So plants and trees help us live and we are removing them, meaning we are getting less oxygen in our body.
Not only are we hurting ourselves by doing this, we are also endangering animals by taking away their homes; for example Orangutan’s homes are being destroyed because people want to use the palm oil in their cooking.
Edward Burtynsky’s work in ‘The Anthropocene Project’ has immensely inspired me, I really enjoy the way he uses a birds-eye point of view to capture his images as I believe it connotes themes of man looking down on all he has created. Burtynsky’s use of repetition and shape in his images is also a factor I wish to demonstrate in my photoshoot inspired by him, I believe it shows the uniformity of society and hints at how the growing industrialization of our planet is leading to an indifferent homogenized world. Additionally, I believe Burtynsky’s work holds many interesting uses of shape and texture- I wish to reflect his busy images by capturing landscapes with many similar structures and buildings to symbolize the growing destruction of natural landscapes. I aim to demonstrate how humankind, with its population explosion, industry, and technology, has in a very short period of time become an agent of immense global change.
Photoshoot Plan
What – I plan on photographing landscape images overlooking urbanised scenes and areas of Jersey, I aim to capture rooftops, buildings, roads, harbours, office blocks and industrial workplaces to show the sheer amount of unnatural sites surrounding us daily.
Where – My idea is to go to the top of Fort Regent car park to capture most of my images as the view looking over St Helier shows mass industrialisation. Additionally, I plan on photographing landscapes from footpaths along Halve Des Pas to show the modernised buildings around the shore line, and also from the harbour near La Collette to shows the industrial areas of our waters.
When – I aim to capture these images on Friday 21st May due to the weather forecasting lots of sun – this will benefit my photoshoots as I plan on spending the day going to different locations inspired by my chosen photographers (Edward Burtynsky & Andrew Moore) who both capture bright images using natural lighting.
How – I plan on photographing the modern landscape of St Helier from high places eg. the top of Fort Regent – however due to this location having a tall fence blocking the birds-eye view I will have to place my camera lens between the bars to capture the landscape through the gaps in the fence – if this poses as a problem I may have to drive higher and over look town from another location.
Why – My aim in producing this photoshoot is to capture images reflecting the work of Edward Burtynsky, showing the growing industrialisation of our planet and demonstrating how systematic society is becoming; reflected through architecture and the destruction of our natural landscapes.
Contact Sheets
Selected Images
Image Analysis
I have chosen to analyse this specific image from my Edward Burtynsky inspired photoshoot as I believe it holds several interesting uses of the formal elements, successfully reflecting the industrialization of the parish of St Helier. I captured this image at the top of Pier Road Car Park, placing my camera lens between the railings to photograph the mass of buildings across the town landscape. I really enjoy the amount of repetition I have captured in this image, I believe the span of windows all lined up in rows across each building presents the idea of a uniform, unchanging society where humans are the constant source of natural environmental destruction. Moreover, the row of trees captured in the mid-left of the image shows a systematic approach to taming nature, their orderly artificial shapes are unnatural and have been photographed to suggest that our world is becoming infested with industrial ideas in architecture and now clearly nature too. In the foreground, the rectangular geometric shapes that fall across a building’s rooftop almost resemble cards of paint colour swatches, symbolizing how humans treat environments as if they are their own rooms to decorate, destroying natural habitats like they are just options of paint shades. The composition of my image shows a wide depth of field, with a busy foreground and mid-ground with the only element of negative space seen in the background- this space, with its bright blue colour, provides a juxtaposition to the otherwise bland colours seen elsewhere of white, brown, cream and grey. The colour palette of my image connotes how the urbanization of our landscapes is destroying all the beauty within them, with unsaturated shades creating a monotonous mood for the observer. As I have photographed this landscape at mid-day using natural lighting, there is a wide range of dark and light tones – the darkest falling across shadowed sides of hotels and office blocks and the lightest within the highlights of white apartments. This extent of dark and light across the image creates a high contrast and, along with the harsh texture created by the repetition of geometric shapes, develops a hectic atmosphere for the observer.
I believe the images highlighted in red are my least successful images as the shutter speed was set too slow, making the images more blurry than intended, this makes them unsuccessful as the original artwork by Darian Mederos focuses on depth of field rather than movement.
I think the images highlighted in green are my strongest images as they are more accurate recreations of Darian Mederos’ work. I also feel like they represent his focus on depth of field more, as some aspects of the images are more blurred than others.
In addition, the contrast of different race adds another factor of human relationships both uniting and separating due to the harm to environment that we all play a part in, no matter who we are or what we believe. At some point, all humans have contributed to the production or purchase of plastic, which eliminates the segregation of who is to blame for the destruction of our planet, as we have all played a part. It can also be seen as a call to action for humans to band together in order to restore nature and live harmoniously.
To edit these images I will enhance the muted tones in my photographs, in a similar way to the artwork by Mederos, and also darken the tones in order to provide a deeper, menacing message in relation to the theme of Anthropocene.
Camera and light settings
For this photoshoot, I used harsh studio lighting to achieve the contrasting shadows and highlights in the images. I set the lighting to a slightly warmer tone to recreate the muted tones and colours that can be seen similarly in Darian Mederos’ work.
For the first few images in this photoshoot, the shutter speed was too slow for my desired outcome of the images, I predict the shutter speed was around 1/30 as slight movements made aspects of the image blurry. Once I had realised this, I altered the shutter speed to a faster setting of 1/1000, so the movements in the photographs wouldn’t come out blurry. I set the ISO to 50, and I set the aperture to a lower setting of around f/11 in so I could capture a slightly more narrow depth of field to juxtapose the aspects of the image that were in focus, compared to those that were slightly out of focus.
“Engulfed” from “Plastic Currents” series – Naomi White (2012)
In terms of similarities, Naomi White and Darian Mederos’ work both focus on the use of plastic in order to create a sense of mystery and abstraction. In both these images in particular the tones of both images are rather muted and subdued. The work by White and Mederos provide the theme of Anthropocene as they use man made, polluting materials to create their work by showing them in an artistic light.
On the other hand, the work by both artists are different in the sense that Darian Mederos’ work focuses more on portrait-based work when compared to Naomi White’s abstract-focused work. Also, Mederos’ work is a painting whereas White’s work is an edited photograph. The tones in White’s image are much warmer in comparison to Mederos’ work that provides a lot of cooler tones.
Despite both works having differences that contradict each other, I think they represent Anthropocene in a similar way, as they create ambiguity through the use of artificial materials.
“Sophia III” (From The Obscura Series” – Darian Mederos (2018)
Darian Mederos, born in Cuba in 1992, is an artist who focuses his work on studying the human emotion in a distorted way. Mederos believes emotion develops our human experience, ‘revealing everything at once or nothing at all’. Mederos attended the first two years of art school at Leopoldo Romañach in Cuba. He then applied to La Academia Nacional de Bellas Artes San Alejandro in Havana, Cuba, and was accepted into the school. Darian Mederos left Cuba by himself at age 22 and flew to Miami and in less than six weeks was picked up by his gallery of record Conde Contemporary. Mederos’ work has been shown in LA, New York, Shanghai and other cities around the world. His work also resides in private collections worldwide, including London, Malaysia and Italy. I believe Darian Mederos’ work can be an example of Anthropocene due to the human life being drowned out with the use of plastic.
“The Distortion of Adoration” – Darian Mederos (2019)
“Sophia I” (From The Obscura Series) – Darian Mederos (2018)
Analysis of Darian Mederos’ work
“Embracing Doubt” – Darian Mederos (2020)
This painting by Darian Mederos is labelled “Embracing Doubt”. This painting is part of a series developed by Mederos to prove that the human emotion cannot be concealed. I feel like this series can also be seen as representation for Anthropocene as it displays the human emotion being drowned out through the use of plastic.
The lighting in this image is soft and could either be seen as natural or artificial. There is no harsh shadows or highlights being represented in this painting, however the high points of the face such as the nose and chin are softly illuminated. The brightest sections of the painting are found in the woman’s white clothing as well as parts of the woman’s face that are highlighted, like the lips and the nose. I believe the lighting is being directed from straight in front of the face, as the shadows are not cast at a particular angle.
The use of bubble wrap over the model in the portrait creates a repetition of curved line, these thin lines distort the vision of the image creating a blurry effect. These lines do not create any sort of movement or direction, however they are used as a form of repetition.
The use of repetition can be seen in the form of repetition of shape and line through the use of the bubble wrap which conceals the portrait with the repeated small circles. The repeated circles can be seen as a form of echo also.
This painting consists of purely organic, curved shapes. This can be seen in the repetition of circles and the organic curves of the model’s face. This means that there is a lack of juxtaposition within shape as no straight-edged shapes can be seen.
The image contains a shallow depth of field as the minute circles of the bubble wrap are in focus when compared to the facial features of the model behind the plastic. The area around the model’s face can be seen as empty space due to the off-white colour of the clothing, which lacks detail. The rest of the image is positive space as it it detailed with the small circles or the model’s face.
The bubble wrap in the foreground of the image has been concealed by the bubble wrap, this creates a juxtaposing, bumpy texture which contrasts against the smooth texture of the model’s face. There is a rather strong focus on texture in this painting as bubble wrap has an iconic and recognisable texture.
There is little representation of darker tones in this painting, however dark can still be seen through the hair of the model and around the eyes of the woman’s face. The majority of the tones have lighter hues to them, for example the woman’s clothing and her fair skin. The image tends towards lightness, which creates a contrasting mood compared to the inferred dark message of the painting, that being the human emotion being concealed.
The colours of this image are rather muted with a hint of vibrancy. The muted and more dull colours are seen in the woman’s face with her pale skin and the cream-coloured clothing she is wearing. Alternatively, this is juxtaposed with the vibrant, red lipstick the woman is wearing, which can be used as a focal point as the contrast is rather extreme. If the image were in black and white I believe it would add a further level of seriousness and develop the darker message of concealed human emotion. On the other hand, a monochromatic version of this image would lose the high contrast of the muted and vibrant colours. This focus would be transferred more towards the contrasting light and dark tones of the image.
The image has a rather simple composition, as although the image is artificially set up, there is a calm atmosphere to the image as it is not too busy. The image does not follow then rule of thirds and there is a lack of a distinct focal point. The composition is balanced as the empty spaces are evenly distributed between the positive spaces.
To display these images I could print them onto clear or coloured acetate, which is similar to the material taken in the original image. I think clear acetate would keep the colours in the similar tones as they are in my final edits, whereas coloured acetate may alter the colours and tones of the final displayed image.
I could also print the images out onto printing paper and burn the edges of the paper. I feel like this would reinforce the original idea of Anthropocene, with humans causing more harm to the environment rather than helping it.
Andrew Moore is an American photographer, born in 1957, who documents the effect of time on natural and built landscapes. His series includes work made in Cuba, Russia, Bosnia, Times Square, Detroit, The Great Plains, and most recently, the American South. Moore was a lecturer on photography in the Visual Arts Program at Princeton University from 2001 to 2010. Presently he teaches a graduate seminar in the MFA Photography Video and Related Media program at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. He captures his images in a journalistic, documentary type fashion, photographing landscapes where man’s impact on the surroundings is being challenged by the power of nature. I felt drawn to Moore’s work due to his talent in capturing a sort of mid-stage between industrialization and natural landscapes, the observer can clearly see elements of nature in his images- however there is also a sense of impending urbanisation creeping into each image, may it be in the background or the main focus. I wish to take inspiration from this element of Moore’s work and portray the idea of ‘nature fighting back’ in one of my photoshoots.
Edward Burtynsky
Edward Burtynsky is a Canadian contemporary photographer, born in 1955 of Ukrainian heritage in St. Catharines, Ontario. He received his BAA in Photography/ Media Studies from Ryerson University in 1982, and in 1985 founded Toronto Image Works, a darkroom rental facility, custom photo laboratory, digital imaging and new media computer-training centre catering to all levels of Toronto’s art community. Early exposure to the sites and images of the General Motors plant in his hometown helped to formulate the development of his photographic work. His imagery explores the collective impact we as a species are having on the surface of the planet; an inspection of the human systems we’ve imposed onto natural landscapes. Burtynsky’s work really inspired me when researching different Anthropocene photographers as I enjoy the way he captures repetition throughout his images with an interesting camera point of view, I wish to reflect the way he captures our world’s rapid industrialization through landscape photography.
Burtynsky was part of the team with Nicholas de Pencier and Jennifer Baichwal who created ‘The Anthropocene Project’, in an extract from Burtynsky’s essay, “Life in the Anthropocene” he wrote “we hope to bring our audience to an awareness of the normally unseen result of civilization’s cumulative impact upon the planet. This is what propels us to continue making the work. We feel that by describing the problem vividly, by being revelatory and not accusatory, we can help spur a broader conversation about viable solutions. We hope that, through our contribution, today’s generation will be inspired to carry the momentum of this discussion forward, so that succeeding generations may continue to experience the wonder and magic of what life, and living on Earth, has to offer.”
Image Comparison
1 – Andrew Moore | 2 – Edward Burtynsky
I chose to compare this image taken by Andrew Moore to one of Edward Burtynsky’s images as I believe they both hold similarities and differences with their use of techniques in the formal elements. Moore’s image was captured at Via Blanca, Cuba in 2012 and Burtynsky’s was released in ‘The Anthropocene Project’ in 2018. The first clear similarity is that both photographers have captured leading lines produced by roads that draw the observer’s attention through the images, creating a sense of movement and energy. Moore’s leading line is straight and thick, guiding the observer’s eye into the distance and background of the photograph- Burtynsky’s image also leads them to the background, however his captured line is thin and curves around the top right of the photo. The comparison between these two uses of leading lines symbolizes how the industrialization of our planet will continue on into the future, becoming more and more accepted and normal- just as Burtynsky’s line bends and blends more into it’s surroundings than Moore’s earlier captured photograph. Furthermore, there is a similar grainy rough texture in both images, created by the busy amount of subject captured; the trees in Moore’s image create a spiky feeling however they also have a sense of serenity that produces a more calm atmosphere, which is juxtaposed greatly with the out-of-place motorway that cuts through them.
In addition, there are also several differences between each image, for example their composition and camera point of view. Moore has captured his landscape from a lower perspective, and while it is not at eye-level, it still creates a more grounded impression by bringing the observer closer to the subject. In comparison, Burtynsky’s photograph is captured with a birds-eye point of view, symbolizing the biblical connotations of man looking down on all he has created as if he were a God. Moreover, the actual location of each landscape image is a significant difference between the photographs, with Moore’s showing the woodlands and forests in Cuba being industrialized and Burtynsky’s demonstrating the mass industrialization of cities and towns. Burtynsky’s image holds zero negative space, it’s cramped composition creates an uneasy and overwhelming atmosphere as the repetition of buildings and structures surrounding the winding road connotes the idea of a dystopian, homogeneous society where everything and everyone is the same. The trees and nature which are reflected over and over again in Moore’s image suggests that the beauty in our natural environment is still trying to push against human impact and urbanization, connoting the idea that there may still be hope. Lastly, Moore’s image holds more vibrant and saturated colours than those seen in Burtynsky’s photograph, the blue sky in the background of the image gives the impression that if humans are still destroying the planet by using fossil fuels and increasing CO2 emissions, mass industrialization will continue on into the future, however if we do something about the destruction of our world now there is hope moving forward that the environment can be saved.
Gerry Johansson is a Swedish photographer who photographs simple areas with straight lines. He was born in 1945 in Sweden and spent his life travelling around the globe taking photos. He photographs in black and white and his photos link to historical and social issues. Over his lifetime, he has published 30 books and at age 71, is still taking photos to this day.
Gerry Johansson’s style is taking photos of natural landscapes that have been corrupted by man made structures. His images are black and white and include open landscapes with buildings or structures.
Why did I choose Gerry Johansson?
I chose to use Gerry Johansson as one of my anthropocene inspired photographers. I chose to use him because his photos have simple subjects but complicated tonal values. The images have a lot of drama between tonal contrast, humanity and nature and old vs new. I also like the idea of taking photos in black and white so that the tonal values are very dramatic and I will recreate this with my own photo shoot.
Photo Analysis
Contextual
The image above was taken in Froid, Montana in 2017 and shows a church in the middle of fields of small grass. There are also many wooden electrical pylons either side of the church. The pylons appear to be stretching for miles through the Montana Desert. The image is in black and white and even though it was taken in 2017, Johansson has used an old camera to give the image a grainy feel.
Technical
The light in the image is clearly natural from the sun, however the light is very intense. We can assume it was taken on a clear day when the sun was high in the sky probably around midday. The tonal range in the image is very vast and the contrast is high. The image has a low ISO as the image is not dark.
Visual
The image has a good tonal contrast between the light building, grass and sky and the dark wires and pylons. The sun is coming from the left of the image as we can see a shadow on the church. There are also lighter parts of the pylons to the left and darker shadowed parts to the right. The large pylons provide a sense of repetition in the image and there are 8 pylons in sight in the image. The human impact on the empty desert displays the opposing forces of humanity vs nature. The electrical pylons are leading the eye from the main focal point and into the desert referencing the expanse of space still affected by the impact of humans.
Conceptual
I believe Johansson took the photo above to show beauty within the chaos of human nature. I believe he is also showing the effect humans are having on the planet in a positive and negative way. I believe the electrical pylons are meant to lead the eye of the viewer further and further away into the desert showing how was human impact is on the planet.
Where am I going to take photos?
As I mentioned on the post about antropocene in general, I want to go to places such as cell towers and reservoirs. I will take black and white photos with a high tonal value, using lines and shadows to create drama in my images. The images will show how nature is being affected by humans and how structures are present in landscapes.
Andy Hughes
Andy Hughes is an British photographer who works with plastic and how it affects the environment. He was born in Cardiff in 1966 and has mainly exhibited his work in the UK and US. He has also had his work used in the BBC and National Geographic. His photographs directly link with the idea of plastic pollution and the negative impact humanity is creating. He uses his photographs to bring information about pollution to light of the public and has spoken on television about the problem.
Dominant Wave Theory
Andrew Hughes’s work explores the rubbish washed up on the beach where he surfs. Despite their bad presence, these mass-produced items become aesthetic forms within the overall . By photographing everyday products in such an environment, Hughes attempts to draw attention to the unseen ,small scale pollutants of modern industrial consumerist society.
Image Analysis
Hermosa Beach, Los Angeles, California 2004
Contextual
The photo is of a red lighter half buried in the sand on a beach. The photo is an example of Dominant Wave Theory as it shows an small mass produced item that would not usually be classed as having an aesthetic value. It was taken on a beach in Los Angeles in California and shows a sunset behind the lighter.
Technical
The lighting in the image is very natural and very soft and distant as the light is coming from the sunset. There is a good contrast between the brightest and darkest tones of the shadowed sand and the light sky. There is a good combination of colours with the red of the lighter mixing with the yellow of the sun. We can assume that the image was taken at sunset. The images has quite a warm tone and the lighter is in focus with the sand and sunset behind slightly blurred.
Visual
The image has a good contrast between the dark sand and the light sky creating tension between the sky and the ground. There is also contrast between the red lighter and blue/ grey sky. The sun is in the center of the image and the sunlight is being refracted and distorted by the scratched and damaged lighter surface. The red lighter combined with the yellow sunset creates a golden colour through the lighter. Behind the lighter, there are many small sand hills that bring a sense of repetition and randomness that link to nature. The lighter is in the middle of the image and is positioned at an angle that links to the idea of the sea washing it up randomly.
Conceptual
The image above links to the idea of Hughes’ Dominant Wave Theory and brings to light the detrimental effects of plastic on the planet. The surface of the lighter is also slightly damages linking to the idea that by putting plastic into the sea it is in turn damaging us. The scratches and dented surface resembles humanity being damages by pollution.
Where am I going to take photos?
I will take photos of plastic that has been washed up on a beach. I will take the photos so that the colours are contrasting and the background is slightly blurred resembling Andy Hughes and his method of taking photos.
Comparison
Gerry Johansson takes photos in black and white and his photos have a high tonal contrast which bring drama to his images. He also uses very natural lighting when taking photos. His message in his photos is that anything can have aesthetic value even the most unlikely subject.
Andy Hughes takes photos in colour and his photos have tonal contrast between dark and light but also warm and cold colours. He also uses natural lighting when taking his images. His message is similar to Johansson and it is that even small, mass produced things can have an aesthetic value.
