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.
“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.
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.
Differences – The layout of both images is different as mine has a clear horizon that splits the image in the top middle thrid with a straight line, whereas Yao Lu’s is a horizon made from the mountain tops which is in the very top third. I also left most of the natural landscape in the image, however Lu covered all/most of the natural landscape with waste and netting. The colouring in Lu’s image is more muted and made of more neutral colours. Mine is muted but there is certain aspects, specifically the added waste piles where it is more graphic and vibrant. the overall style of Lu’s image is very painterly and delicate, but mine is more graphic and bold.
Similarities – Both images have the same concept of photo montaging waste in the form of the natural landscape. Both images are overall warmer toned. Also the images have been framed and cropped to be circular in the same way.
Evaluation
Even though the final outcomes I had planned in my head looked more like Yao Lu’s painterly photographs I am happy that the non-natural aspects of the image (the fishing abandoned equipment), are more graphic and contrast with the natural landscape that should be there. This gives the image more contrast physically and metaphorically in the sense that the earth is turning into a waste land because all these waste products that human kind have made and harmed the earth with are going to be the new reality as the natural landscapes are being damaged and slowly disappearing. therefore based on this I have clearly shown the theme of Anthropecene, how the earth is changing based on human error, through my series images.
For my main piece, I am creating a photo manipulation to raise awareness about ocean pollution, so I need photos of :
– Rubbish – Fishing Gear (nets, buoys) – Underwater – The sea – The coastal headline – Boats – Rocks
I made a table to visually display all the photo shoots I need to do for my main piece.
ST BRELADES PHOTO SHOOT
I went to St Brelades in the evening when it was clear, and took photos at the end of the beach that the pier was at. Then moved towards Quasine. Firstly I took photos of the boats in the sand, then in the middle of the beach, I took photos of the sea with the horizon in. I plan to make that the surface of the sea in my final piece. After went to the rocky area, and took photos the larger rocks.
BOULEY BAY PHOTO SHOOT
I decided to get more photos, as I didn’t really like the lighting and the reflections of the sunset from the St Brelades photo shoot. Firstly, I started near the island to get photos of the rocks. Then I went to the end of the pier where I got another photo looking out to the sea. Then lots of photos of boats, and there was a man putting his boat into the sea, so I was able to get a clear picture of the bottom of the boat, which had some buoys on. Additionally, I got some pictures of sea gulls, which I could add into the sky. in Photoshop.
RUBBISH / PLASTIC PHOTO SHOOT
I took photos of various waste and plastic items, such as, plastic water bottles, plastic bags, crisp packets, and, cans. Nothing complicated, I positioned the subject in the centre of the frame, and for the items that had weight like plastic bags, I filled with air to make it look like it would be floating, so it would be easier to blend in Photoshop, and not look out of place.
SECOND PIECE PHOTO SHOOT / PLAN / (If I have spare time)
If I have spare time I plan to create a photo manipulation of space. For my photos I need :
– Galaxy – Foreground photo (white house in St Ouens) – Moon
GALAXY PHOTO SHOOT
I would need to go to a place where there is no light pollution. St Ouens would be a good place. I would need to bring a tripod and a camera. The camera settings would be at the lowest f-stop number, manual focus on the brightest star, wide angle lens (35mm), 800-3200 ISO, shutter speed is 25-30 seconds, but no longer as it would create star trails.
FOREGROUND (WHITE HOUSE) PHOTO SHOOT
I need a subject that would be the foreground, I chose the White house. I would need to go when there is natural light, so I went in the morning (10am) as there was good light and no people.
MOON PHOTO SHOOT
I chose to take photos when there was a full moon. I would use the same setup as the galaxy photo shoot, except the lens. I would use a 300mm lens the capture the moon, with a 1 second shutter speed.
Felicity Hammond, a British artist based in London, is best known for her landscape photography, which fixates on the incessantly changing landscapes and the debris left behind. She creates her pieces through various methods, the most frequented being collage. Hammond has also been known to create video collages, that focus on the earth’s climate crises, such as her piece named ‘Lagoon’, depicting what rising sea levels would do to a city. First studying Fine Art Photography at the University of Gloucestershire in 2011, Hammond then went to earn her MA in Photography at the Royal College of Art in 2014. Presently, Hammond is a lecturer at Southampton Solent University, which she claims helps her to be constantly thinking about ‘the ever-changing boundaries within photography’.
Hammond usually displays her works in an installation manner rather than the traditional gallery. For example for her project named ‘In Defence of Industry’, Hammond presented her image in front of a large light box, and above a water feature on the floor reflecting her landscape.
Felicity Hammond Images
Analysis
Felicity Hammond – In Defence of Industry – 2017
This altered landscape, created by Felicity Hammond, showcases a natural, rural landscape of hills and mountains, that has been invaded by large industrial structures. These beige and white incongruous buildings heavily contrast with the dark tone of the image and the shadows in between the hillsides. In addition, contrast in this piece can also be seen through the difference between the plain and boring tone of the industrial structures, and the rich and saturated hue this image possesses. The leading lines in this collage of images are presented through the ridges of the hills and mountains, as these peaks guide the viewers eye into the background, revealing more out of place structures hidden by the expanse of nature. Although these intrusive buildings look odd in such a rural setting, it can be argued that the focal point of this piece is the dark area of land in the middle, which appears to be a lake, due to it containing the darkest tone seen in the image and its central placement. Here Hammond also has appeared to apply the rule of thirds when taking the photograph for the natural landscape, as a result of the horizon line being located in the upper third of the image.
From a technical viewpoint, it can be said the natural landscape photograph was taken during the hours of sunrise or sunset due to the golden like sky in the background, and the dark orange tint, which may have been a mixture of natural lighting and digital editing by Hammond. This can also be said for the images needed for the buildings, as the front facing walls seem to be lit with the same golden glow. As a result of using natural lighting at this time, it is likely that Hammond used a medium ISO setting, making sure the photograph isn’t under or over exposed. The shutter speed used here was probably medium to fast, as there is no blur or evidence of movement, however the lens would have to be exposed to enough light to allow for a visible image. Furthermore, Hammond may have used a low aperture setting, meaning that the entirety of the rural landscape would possess the same amount of focus, allowing the viewer to explore the background of the image as much as the foreground.
Hammond created this altered landscape to display ‘the relationship between the industrial history of Barrow-in-Furness and the wider Cumbrian landscape’ in terms of its potential future with nuclear industry. Looking at this, it could be implied that here Hammond was aiming to bring attention to the issue revolving around the political side of the impact of nuclear industry. This may be referring to what could be at risk in the potential future, this being the natural landscapes surrounding this town and their need for defence.
Tanja Deman
Tanja Deman, born in 1982 Split, Croatia, is best known for her altered landscape pieces, which showcase the juxtaposition between nature and urban landscapes. These works are created through various mediums by Deman, such as photography, film, collage and public art installations. With these she aims to produce pieces that display the ‘dynamics hidden under the surface of both built and natural environment’. After graduating the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, Croatia in 2006, Deman has found success and since gone on to exhibit her work, in various forms, in places such as the USA, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, the UK and many more.
Tanja Deman Images
Analysis
Tanja Deman – Landscape, Fernweh – 2010
This black and white altered landscape created by Tanja Deman, displays a geometric urban structure surrounded by what appears to be a dry, desert like natural landscape. This dark, imposing building located in the centre of the image, causes a strong contrasts with the natural landscape, not just as it is the only man made structure visible, but also due to the fact it juxtaposes with the light tones of the encompassing hills and ridges. In addition, it can also be said that this contrast between light and dark is increased by Deman’s choice to produce this piece in black and white. It can be argued that this building is the image’s focal point, due to the central placement of the structure within the frame. Furthermore, the leading lines, which are created by peaks and ridges of the hills and mountains, guide the viewer’s eye across the image towards the focal point. It also seems that Deman has framed the photograph of the natural landscape, in order to create an enclosed piece of flat land in the centre, bordered by hills and mountains, in which the conflicting structure can be placed.
To look at this image technically, it can be said that to take the photographs required to produce this piece Deman most likely only used natural lighting at a time soon after midday. This can be seen through the harsh and angled shadows on the hillsides, and the dramatic clouds in the sky limiting the amount of sunlight. As a result of this, the ISO was presumably on a low to medium setting, allowing for the photographs to not be over exposed . Moreover, this also means that the shutter speed was probably on a fast setting, due to the large amounts of light flooding the lens and the lack of motion or blur visible in the piece. It appears tha Deman may have also used a low aperture here, as this broad landscape contains an even range of focus, meaning the viewer can see both the foreground and background clearly.
Taken from the project named ‘Fernweh’, Deman’s intention for this image, and the others in this series, was to showcase a visual representation of man’s incessant need to conquer and urbanise natural landscapes such as this, imposing its rational order on the land. This also explores what the consequences of these actions may lead to or have lead to, which is a constant desire for escapism within nature. With this, it could be implied that the Anthropocene era has been nature’s downfall, leading to the small areas it has been reduced to, becoming a place to escape our own creations.
Comparison
Whilst both pieces share the same outlook on the anthropic impact on nature and how it is becoming more and more scarce in modern day society, the two images differ and correspond in some areas from a visual standpoint.
Colour: The two altered landscapes differ in this area, as whilst Hammond’s piece is heavily saturated, Deman’s piece is black and white.
Lighting: In both images it is clear that natural lighting was used in order to capture the photographs needed to produce each piece, due to expansive settings of the landscapes.
Tone: It can be argued that Deman’s image presents an intense contrast between light and dark, whereas Hammond’s displays a more gentle tonal range due to its saturated, orange tint.
Line and Shape: The two landscapes coincide in the way that the leading lines created by the peaks and ridges of hills or mountains, however they differ when it comes to the shapes these lines create. This is as in Deman’s piece these lines are harsh, jagged and almost geometric in shape, whilst Hammond’s are more curved and gentle.
Composition: These two altered landscapes are dissimilar when it comes to the composition of the image, as Hammond has incorporated various incongruous structures throughout her natural landscape, located in both the foreground and background, unlike Deman who has focused on one singular building and framed it in the centre of the image.
Conceptual realism is the theory that abstract universals, unobservable general classes or ideal types have a reality that is independent, equal and sometimes superior to the reality of their individual parts or specific examples.
These images display the “abstract universals” to an extreme extent, almost what someone is imaging or a weird dream.
The first one shows how it can be almost realistic, and this is the style which I will base my main piece on, as well as Dillon Saw and Sebnem Coskun.
HOW IM GOING TO ACHIEVE THIS?
I my case, I am going to create a piece which visualises conceptual realism on the topic of plastic pollution. I will create a crazy concept promoting the negativity of plastic pollution, all whilst staying in the boundaries of when someone sees my work, they ask themselves, “Is that a photo?” and “Is this real?”
I feel like the images highlighted in red are my least successful images as the contrast in tone and texture aren’t as prominent and I just think overall these images are not as interesting to look at.
In my opinion, the photographs highlighted in green are more successful images as the contrasting tones are more enhanced within these images, and there is also a strong juxtaposition in texture. I feel like these images overall are better recreations of Naomi White’s work compared to my other images.
To edit these images I will further enhance the vibrant, contrasting colours to create an intense juxtaposition between colours.
Camera and light settings
To achieve these results in my photoshoot, I used bright studio lighting to create harsh shadows and highlights within the photographs. I also covered the lights with a layer of coloured acetate which reflected the colour off the plastic in order to project the juxtaposing colours and create a clear contrast.
I kept the camera on it’s manual setting and adjusted the shutter speed to a faster speed of 1/1000, the aperture as f/32 and an ISO of 50 as I wanted the image to be still-life and I didn’t want to capture any blurry movements.
