The 1975 exhibition New Topographic signalled a radical shift away from traditional depictions of landscape. Photographers switched from photographing the traditional romanticism through rural and natural landscapes to taking pictures of man made, urban footprints. This restaging of the exhibition includes the work of all 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.

Many of these new photographers were inspired by the man-made and wanted to show its beauty in different weathers/times of the day but also a way to emphasize how much the impact of industrial development has made to the natural landscape, an exhibition in the International Museum of Photography in Rochester, New York showed this feeling of unease towards this issue.

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This is my mind map of ideas which I will be referencing during my photoshoots for ideas of what I can take pictures of. I will mainly focus my photography at night, which I prefer, but will also experiment during the day as well.

• A Danish photographer.
• Studied at the Institute of Design Art school in Chicago.
• He developed a graphic black and white aesthetic which he is mainly known for.
• He studied various silhouettes and industrial structured which he turned into dynamic, abstract patterns,
• Once he returned to Chicago he then produced various photos of harbours and railways which led to a collection of photos being published in the book “Fragments of a city” in 1960.

Examples of his work –

Analysis –

I think that this is a successful picture taken by Keld Helmer-Petersen in his well-known, abstract graphic black and white style which I will use to reference in my own work because I like how Helmer-Petersen has taken a photo of a fire escape where there would be many lines created due to the stairs which creates the atmosphere of chaos which would happen if there was a fire as everyone would be panicking. I also like how the black and white graphic effect creates this feeling of smoke, which would be caused if there was a real fire and makes the photo appear as if it is foggy as the background is a murky white colour which would be created in an event of a fire and it stands out well against the dark railings because of the heavy contrast between them of the two tones, which I really like as it is able to catch your attention and make you think about what may be happening in this photo and if there was a real fire taking place. I think that the bendy line, created by a railing adds a high level of contrast to the photo as it is seen to be very uniformed in a way with straight lines which are sort of in an order whereas this looks really out of place because the others are straight whereas this is not.

• An American painter and commercial photographer.
• Born in 1883 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and passed away in 1965.
• Studied at the Pennsylvanian Museum school of Industrial art from 1900-03.
• Recognised an a founder of modernist photography/art who also experienced with industrial/rural photography.

Examples of his work –

Analysis –

I am going to work in Sheeler’s style and have his influence within my work because I believe that this photo taken by Charles Sheeler because is a successful representation of industrial/rural photography because it shows a pipe of some sort, from a factory which is currently working as you can see the smoke which is produced which can create the idea of how these fumes are impacting the atmosphere due to mans creations. I also like how this photo has been taken in black and white and brought in different grey tones as it can help show how old tis factory may be and how it hasn’t been around for only a short period of time, instead a long one. I think that the texture also adds a layer of depth and feel to the photograph as it makes it look very heavy, strong and industrial as many factory machines would have this exterior.

• Born in 1967 in Germany.
• Studied photography in the London University of Communications.
• British based photographer.
• Focuses on taking photos at night of the urban landscape, with office blocks or street lights only being featured in her photos.

Examples of her work –

Analysis –

This picture taken by Rut Blees Luxemburg of a part of a building during the evening/night time is a successful picture which I really like and going to take inspiration from so that I can bring their influence into my own work during my photoshoots because I like how there are different shapes from the building which can create a range of different shadows, which it has done in this photo, as it uses the light from streetlights or surrounding lights to create a variety of shapes. I also like how one side of the building is illuminated unlike the other because it shows the rich, golden colour of the building which makes it feel as if it is a warm and welcoming atmosphere to the space and others whereas the other side is darker and more dismal, showing no signs of life which can create an unwelcoming and cold atmosphere which can make people feel as if they don’t want to go in there. There is also a level of personality and uniqueness which is brought into the photo through the sign which is position on the side of the building and taken so that it is in full view of the photo. I really like how Rut Blees Luxemburg decided to add this in as it creates a backstory for the photo and you wonder why she has taken it and if it holds any significance to her.​
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In my work, I am going to take photos during the night (and some in the day too) which is like Rut Blees Luxemburg’s work because I like how the lightning can create different shapes, feelings, shadows, etc. I will be taking photos of various office buildings and other industrial areas where they have modern straight-lined shapes on them because I like how it can create a sleek, repeated look to the photo.​

Introduction

Many of the photographers associated with new topographic including Robert Adams, Lewis Baltz, Nicholas Nixon and Bernd and Hiller Becher, were inspired by the man-made, selecting subject matter that was matter of fact.

A turning point in the history of photography, the 1975 exhibition New Topographic signalled a radical shift away from traditional depictions of landscape. With its stark yet oddly romantic images of American factories, intersections and trailer parks, William Jenkins’s 1975 exhibition rewrote the rules of landscape photography. 

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An exhibition at the International Museum of Photography in Rochester, New York featuring these photographers also revealed the growing unease about how the natural landscape was being eroded by industrial development.

On the one hand, New Topographic represented a radical shift by redefining the subject of landscape photography as the built (as opposed to the natural) environment. To comprehend the significance of this, it helps to consider the type of imagery that previously dominated the genre in the United States.

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What the new topographic a reaction to?

Their stark, beautifully printed images of this mundane but oddly fascinating topography was both a reflection of the increasingly suburbanised world around them, and a reaction to the tyranny of idealised landscape photography that elevated the natural and the elemental.

Typologies

A photographic typology is a single photograph or more commonly a body of photographic work, that shares a high level of consistency. This consistency is usually found within the subjects, environment, photographic process, and presentation or direction of the subject.

Definition- 1 : study of or analysis or classification based on types or categories. 2 : a doctrine of theological types especially : one holding that things in Christian belief are prefigured or symbolised by things in the Old Testament. Other Words from typology Example Sentences Learn More About typology. The photographic typology has the ability to reshape perception, heighten and focus attention, and transform everyday objects into a thing of art. Ironically the process and execution, often cold and systematic can be extremely emotive, and a powerful tool of communication when contextualised.

Bernd and Hilla Becher

Who created typology in photography? The German artists Bernd and Hilla Becher, who began working together in 1959 and married in 1961, are best known for their “typologies”—grids of black-and-white photographs of variant examples of a single type of industrial structure.

Bernhard “Bernd” Becher, and Hilla Becher, née Wobeser, were German conceptual artists and photographers working as a collaborative duo. They are best known for their extensive series of photographic images, or typologies, of industrial buildings and structures, often organised in grids.

Bernd and Hilla Becher first began their still-ongoing project of systematically photographing industrial structures – water towers, blast furnaces, gas tanks, mine heads, grain elevators and the like – in the late 1950s.

I like how these objects are placed how normal passport photos, this along with the black and white images gives the image an old fashion feel despite it not being very old at all. This gives the image depth and authenticity and I think that the contrast between the different shapes makes the image more interesting, You can also notice that the more cylinder shapes are symmetrical to each other with the forth and sixth images being simirla to each other, and the same goes for the first, third, seventh and last image.

Image Analysis

I have selected this image of Bernd and Hilla Becher’s as I think that the grid layout of twelve and not nine makes for a more interesting image as there is more to looks at, and their is more opportunity to create more affective images as part of the final piece. Firstly, I think that the fact that these images are in black and white means that the image may appear more authentic and this highlights the different shadows and shapes within the water towers, for example the squares in the 8th image. Furthermore, the variety of shapes within this image creates a more exciting image, meaning that the contrast between the circles, rectangles and the cylinders placed next to eac other creates depth to the image.

Keld Helmer-Petersen

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Before and after edits in the style of Keld Helmer Peterson:

For my edits I was inspired by Keld Helmer Petersen’s work. I started by turning my images in black and white in Lightroom then exported them to Photoshop. I edited them by going over to “images”, then “adjustments” and clicked on the threshold tool. I then adjusted the threshold until I got something similar to Keld Helmer Petersen’s work.

Final Edits:

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For this photoshoot we went on a walk from Havre des Pas, along the coast line and to the Collette. I took around 750 photographs of different buildings and my surroundings. At Havre des Pas I focused on taking images of the sea as well as the surrounding buildings. Then when we started walking, I focused on the residential area along the coastline. When we got close to the Collette my aim was to take a low and high angled industrial photographs.

Contact Sheets

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Best Shots

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• A German photographer born in 1954.
• Studied at the Dusseldorf school of art from 1973-80.
• His work focuses on urban landscapes, such as industrial areas and deserted streets, so he can capture the conditions of society which are always changing through architecture and urban development.
• Many of his older work was shot in black and white but he eventually began to use colour as of recently.
• He has had many solo exhibitions in various places of the world.

Examples of his work –

Analysis –

I think that this is a really successful picture which is taken by Thomas Struth of 2 buildings in a city due to the way that the sky is plain and white, which can be used to frame the buildings as it is able to highlight them because the building is a darker orange/brown colour with black accents which contrasts well against it. I also like in this picture how between the two buildings there is no gaps, like they are continuous, as it creates the effect where you aren’t sure where one might end or begin as it is unable to reveal how truly big both of these buildings are. This picture is also very deserted, there isn’t any humans to populate it which can help to create a story for the photo as it makes you wonder what day it is and what time of day it may be because it creates a very dystopian feel as both of the buildings look abandoned and forgotten to civilisation and there are also cracks in the road which shows how old this place may be because of how it is decaying over the years.

In my own work I would like to incorporate Thomas Struths use of the continuous building in my own photoshoots because I like the effect that it creates. I am going to do my photos at night instead of the day unlike Struths photos because I think that the dark contrast of the sky would work well against modern buildings which are usually white and professional looking due to the way they are built with slick square, uniformed shapes.

Sequence photography is a technique of shooting a series of images in where the subject is captured in successive motion.

Henry Mullins started working at 230 Regent Street in London in the 1840s and moved to Jersey in July 1848, setting up a studio known as the Royal Saloon, at 7 Royal Square. he started in partnership with a Mr Millward. after the first year he was working alone and he continued to work out of the same studio for another 26 years.

Tracy Moffatt

The nine images in Something More tell an ambiguous tale of a young woman’s longing for ‘something more’, a quest which brings dashed hopes and the loss of innocence. With its staged theatricality and storyboard framing, the series has been described by critic Ingrid Perez as ‘a collection of scenes from a film that was never made’. While the film may never have been made, we recognise its components from a shared cultural memory of B-grade cinema and pulp fiction, from which Moffatt has drawn this melodrama. The ‘scenes’ can be displayed in any order – in pairs, rows or as a grid – and so their storyline is not fixed, although we piece together the arc from naïve country girl to fallen woman abandoned on the roadside in whatever arrangement they take. Moffatt capitalises on the cinematic device of montage, mixing together continuous narrative, flashbacks, cutaways, close-ups and memory or dream sequences, to structure the series, and relies on our knowledge of these devices to make sense and meaning out of the assemblage.