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

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.

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.

Joel Sternfeld

Born in New York in 1944, Joel Sternfeld is known for his large-format colour photographs of American towns and cities. Sternfeld received his BA in visual art from Dartmouth College in 1965. He then began producing colour photographs in his early career in the 1970’s. Joel Sternfeld’s work documents people and places with a vibrant sense of colour, which can be seen in his series ‘American Prospects’, created in 1987. Sternfeld has had work held in exhibitions such as the J.Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Fotomuseum Winterthur in Switzerland and many others. Joel Sternfeld currently lives in New York where he has taught at the Sarah Lawrence College since 1985.

Examples of Joel Sternfeld’s work

Analysis of Joel Sternfeld

This image taken by Joel Sternfeld, titled ‘Sauvies Island, Oregon, June’, depicts what looks to be an isolated campsite floating on the water. At first glance, the colour palette of the photograph is very earthy and muted, with a rather complex composition including a dramatic use of echo and reflection.

The natural, harsh sunlight produces harsh shadows and highlights within the image. I would suggest that this image was taken around midday as the shadows produced by the poles face directly downwards, implying that the sunlight is coming from straight above.

There is a strong use of line within this image, this is shown through both the poles and their reflections. These create the focal point as the earthy-toned wood is juxtaposed against the sombre, black poles. These thick lines direct the viewers eyes upwards, as the poles start from the bottom of the water.

There is a strong sense of echo within this image, this is shown through the poles reflecting in the water. This use of echo could metaphorically symbolise a darker planet with the increased industrialisation, as the reflection almost seems like an alternate universe. The multiple uses of lines can also be shown as a form of repetition, although the repetition isn’t constant.

There is a contrast in shapes within this photograph, as the organic shapes of the leaves and masses of trees are contrasted against the straight-edged lines and the geometrically formed house. There is also a repetition of cross shapes which can be seen in the bridge, this further proves the contradiction between natural and geometric shapes.

There is a slightly shallow depth of field in this image as the background begins to fade in the distance of the photograph. There is two representations of negative, empty space within the photo. This can be seen in both the top and bottom third of the image. This even distribution of empty space produces the illusion of a balanced composition.

The image has a multitude of contrasting textures. For example, the sharp, string-like grass is juxtaposed against the smooth, fluid waters. The water is also contradicted with the straight poles that cut into the water in a knife-like manner.

The darkest areas of the photograph are mainly found in the reflections of the waters, however the dull trees also create a strong contrast between tones against the delicate, light sky.

The colour palette of this image is very earthy- toned and subdued. The dominant colours within this photograph would be green and brown, however there is representation of blues and whites. I believe if the image were in black and white, there would be no distraction from the colours in the image, therefore accentuating the use of reflection and echo. However the use of colour in this image adds a vintage tone to the image, especially with the muted tones.

There is a more complex use of rule of thirds in this image, as the the almost-floating house is located in the middle of the image, with the reflected poles leading the viewers eyes down to the bottom third of the image. The image isn’t particularly balanced as the majority of the positive space can be seen in the bottom and middle third, whereas the top third mainly consists of empty space.