Keld Helmer-Petersen was a Danish photographer who explored industrial/modern areas, architecture and structures throughout his 70 years-long photography career. He liked to experiment with the medium of photography, which is made clear with his photographs, despite the fact that they shared similar subjects. He is a self-taught photographer whose career started in 1938 after being gifted a camera, which inspired him to take to photographic manuals and photobooks to learn more about the medium. He had joined several photography clubs and worked with several architects and artists who explored similar art forms (such as sculpting) which allowed him to form a circle of artists that created several exhibitions of their work. In 1948, Helmer-Petersen had published his first photobook ‘122 Colour Photographs’ which had gained international success and attention, dubbing it as one of the pioneering examples of art photography in colour.
Image Analysis
Power Lines, Chicago, 1951
Here is likely an example of one of his experimental photographs, I think this because the way he uses contrast to create vivid, undetailed yet recognisable shapes is very unconventional for photography at the time. I think this contrast gives the image an unnatural, man-made aesthetic, which was likely done intentionally to perhaps make a statement on mankind’s affect on nature, and therefore landscape photography as a whole.
This image uses strong lines and regular shapes to make up the subjects within the image, giving it a very industrial look. To me, the focal point is the large object positioned at the top of the image, I think this because of its size, as well as the clear contrast in the image. I like the way the wires connecting the larger objects fills up the blank, white spaces in the image, it gives the image a chaotic, almost restricting, look which I think works really well in an industrial-themed image.
My own Experiments
Here I used the Filter Gallery tool in Photoshop to mimic the style of the image from Helmer-Petersen’s work. With these settings I think the images bear a close resemblance.
Comparison
I like the way my image and Helmer-Petersen’s both use straight lines and regular shapes to make up the main structures in the image. My image has more open space within it compared to Helmer-Petersen’s since his photograph uses wires to fill up those spaces, I like both looks since a more open image gives it more room to breathe/makes it more readable.
For this photoshoot I walked around Havre des Pas and La Collette and took pictures of the urban and industrial buildings and structures around that area.
Contact Sheets
Contact Sheets of my Best Images
Here I picked out my final images using the same ‘Pick’ and ‘Reject’ method I used in the first urban photoshoot.
I also once again created black and white versions of each image to mimic Henry Wessel’s work.
Final Edited Images
I chose this as a final image because I like its composition. I think that the clear sky helps the shapes of the lamps become more apparent, as it provides a clear background that doesn’t draw much attention to itself, allowing the focus to be placed on the lamps. When editing, I made the image slightly warmer to make the little colour that is seen on the lamps stand out more, as well as to make the sky (specifically in the lower-right) a soft yellow, giving the overall image more colour.
I chose this image because I think the shapes created by the railings, gate and other objects, gives the image a very urbanised look. I think the shadow in this image creates a strong contrast between the objects and the clear sky, putting more of a focus on the urban part of the image. Like the previous image, I made the tone of the image slightly warmer when editing to give the image slightly more colour, putting more of an emphasis on the browns and oranges seen on some parts of the objects.
I chose this as a final image because I think that the dark-grey, shaded parts of the steps contrasts nicely with the bright yellow lines on the edges on the steps. In addition, I think the bright yellow helps give the image a unique, yet urban look. I think the regular lines created by the steps also gives the image a less natural look, these lines also draw your eyes to the right of the image, where arguably more contrast and colour can be seen.
I chose this as a final image because I think the dark scaffolding creates shapes that have a distinct ‘urban’ feel, as straight lines and regular shapes creates an unnatural aesthetic. The scaffolding poles also act as leading lines, that lead the viewer towards the larger shape on the right of the image, this makes the left and right side of the look image completely different. I also like how the scaffolding creates a very stark contrast with the brighter, clear sky.
I chose this as a final image because I think the simplicity of the shape(s) of the building (the shape of the building itself, as well as the shapes inside it eg. the windows) gives the image an urbanised aesthetic. The colours in this image are limited, which, to me, gives it a more ‘simple’ look. The blues in the sky and windows match nicely with the beige colour of the building. When editing I made the image slightly colder to make the blues in the sky and on the building stand out a little bit more.
I chose this as a final image because I think it has an interesting composition, with the pipe leading into the building on the bottom-left creating an interesting shape that divides the image. This image has a lot of blues and greys, this paired with the straight lines the image uses gives it a modern/urban look. I like how the pipes obscure the sun, giving the pipes a shadowed underside that creates contrast from the sky and the pipes themselves.
I chose this as a final image because I think the simplicity of the image, with a plain blue sky as the background I think it adds emphasis to the pipes. The darker tone of the pipes makes it stand out in the blue background their difference in tone creates a contrast. When editing I made the tone of the image more cold to give the pipes a more silver colour, making it pair nicely with the blue background.
I chose this as a final image because I think it has an interesting composition, with the structure covering a large part of the image, leading you from the bottom and sides of the image into the middle. I think a portrait orientation was appropriate for this image as it makes the structure look taller by putting emphasis on the legs of the structure. When editing, I made the image slightly colder to give the metal a more urban, cold look.
I like this image because of how the urban tower in the midground contrasts thematically with the natural tree in the foreground. I think it is interesting how the tower and the tree share a similar colour, while the background is fully blue. I also like how the urban structure is made up of straight, regular lines, which contrast greatly with the flowing lines created by the tree.
I chose this as a final image because I like the composition of the image. The structure has leading lines pointing towards the largest/closest part of it, acting as the focal point of the image, which is positioned in the top right of the image, following the rule of thirds. I think it is interesting how the blue of the structure is contrasted by a complementary orange created by the rust, it gives the image an urban look.
Comparison to Henry Wessel
I chose to compare this image to Henry Wessel’s work because I think the clear sky and inclusion of plant life creates a nice link between the two images. I decided to make my images black and white to mimic the black and white images in the New Topographics exhibition. Wessel’s image is far more exposed, due to the climate Wessel took images of. The two images have different viewpoints, with my image pointing more upwards, exposing more of the sky, while Wessel’s is more level, as expected for a landscape image. Wessel’s image focuses more on an entire scene, with multiple images and trees being shown in the picture, while my image focuses more on a single building.
The Anthropocene epoch comes from the Greek term for human “Anthropo” and new “cene”. It is a word used to highlight how humans have made an irreversible and detrimental impact to the earth which will cause a heavy influence in the future to ecosystems, environment, biodiversity, etc. This period can also be known as “The great acceleration” due to the modifications we have made to the planet through carbon dioxide emissions, ocean acidification, habitat destruction, etc and how quickly and unexpectedly these changes have came around in the last 60 years but not everyone agrees that these are enough indicators to declare a new geographical epoch. Anthropocene should be tackled through photography because it is a ever-growing, high influential community through audience and photographer, which is able to use creative ways to catch other peoples attention towards why we should be more careful of our plastic use.
Here are the different types of epochs we have already experienced:
Plastic is a key marker in the Anthropocene as plastic production is seen and used everywhere with millions of tonnes being produced each year. Due to the fact that plastic isn’t biodegradable it usually ends up littering soils, ocean beds, streets, etc which can be very harmful to wildlife. For my project, I will mainly be focussing on the effect of plastic bags and raising the awareness of how damaging they can be.
Photographers who have focussed on photographing Anthropocene –
Anthropocene is the concept that the Earth has moved into a novel geological epoch characterized by human domination of the planetary system, is an increasingly prevalent framework for debate both in academia and as a wider cultural and policy zeitgeist.
A mood board of Anthropocene related images
The Anthropocene is sometimes used to simply describe the time during which humans have had a substantial impact on our planet. Whether or not we are in a new geological age, we are part of a complex, global system and the evidence of our impact on it has become clear.
The activity of civilization is now pushing the planet into a new epoch which scientists call the Anthropocene.
When analyzing the reasons that have caused the appearance of this new geological age, we can speak of two main causes: the model of energy production and the resource consumption model. The energy produced from coal, oil and natural gas emits large amounts of greenhouse gases, the main causes of global warming.
For its part, the growing population needs a greater use of natural resources that nowadays surpasses the capacity of the Earth to regenerate them.
In Anthropocene, human actions bring many consequences, including changes in the water cycle, imbalances and destructions in the marine and terrestrial ecosystems, the increase of extreme meteorological phenomena, the acidification of the oceans or the disappearance of the forests.
Anthropocene in Photography and Edward Burtynsky: The Anthropocene Project
As the impact of man on the natural world has become more and more obvious, many photographers and artists have produced responses to the age of Anthropocene. These kinds of images are not made just of environmental commentary, but a commentary on other manmade issues such as housing crises and poverty.
Born in Canada in 1955, Burtynsky has been investigating human-altered landscapes in his artistic practice for over 35 years, capturing the sweeping views of nature altered by industry; from stone to minerals, oil, transportation, and silicone.
A video about the project
The Anthropocene Project is directly influenced by the proposed new geologic era ‘Anthropocene’ – introduced in 2000 by chemist and Nobel Prize winner Paul Jozef Crutzen, to represent a formal recognition and acknowledgement of the “human signature” on the planet.
Experts argue that the end of the current epoch has been marked by striking acceleration since the mid-20th century of carbon dioxide emissions and rising sea levels, the mass extinction of global species, and the transformation of land by deforestation and development. Burtynsky hopes to demonstrate this.
The Anthropocene Project includes photographs of the biggest terrestrial machines ever built in Germany, concrete seawalls in China that now cover 60 per cent of the mainland coast, and psychedelic potash mines in Russia’s Ural Mountains. Burtynsky says that in order to make an impact it was important to capture the largest examples of extractions of the planet, which explains why he visited a mighty 20 countries over a period of five years.
The word Anthropocene comes from the Greek terms for human (anthropo) and new (cene). The Anthropocene epoch is used to describe the most recent period in Earth’s history and how human activity started to have a significant impact on the planet’s climate and ecosystems.
epochs we have already experienced
“The Holocene epoch started 11,700 years ago as the glaciers of the last ice age receded. Geologists and other scientists from the Anthropocene Working Group believe that we have left the Holocene and entered a new epoch: the Anthropocene. Their argument is that humans have become the single most defining force on the planet and that the evidence for this is overwhelming. Terraforming of the earth through mining, urbanization, industrialization and agriculture; the proliferation of dams and diverting of waterways; CO2 and acidification of oceans due to climate change; the pervasive presence around the globe of plastics, concrete, and other technofossils; unprecedented rates of deforestation and extinction: these human incursions, they argue, are so massive in scope that they have already entered, and will endure in, geological time.” – https://www.edwardburtynsky.com/projects/the-anthropocene-project
For this photoshoot, I went around St. Helier and took pictures of the buildings in it from different viewpoints, such as from the top of car parks looking downwards/at the horizon or at the foot of buildings looking upwards.
Contact Sheets
Contact Sheet of my Best Images
To select the best images I used the ‘Pick’ and ‘Reject’ feature on lightroom to determine which images are ‘good’ and ‘bad’, then I used the start-rating system to see which ones were the best out of those. I have settled on 11 total final images.
I copied each final image and created a black and white version to mimic the style of the photographs shown in the New Topographics exhibition.
Final Edited Images
I chose this as a Final Image because I like the way it uses distance and scale to show how large the urban landscape is in comparison to a car. I also think it is interesting how the foreground, due to the fact that the building is high up, is much larger than the buildings on the background (in terms of scale in the image), which creates a very clear divide between the foreground and the background. There is also a clear divide between the top and bottom halves of the image due to the top half being a clear blue and the bottom half having many lines and a mix of greys, greens and browns. The car acts as the focal point in the image, due to how it’s silver paint reflects light into the camera, making it the brightest part of the image. This image follows the rule of thirds as the car is positioned at the bottom right corner.
I chose this as a Final Image because I like the relationship between the car in the bottom right and the buildings that surround it. It creates a sense of life that would not be seen if the car was not there. The difference in scale between the car and the buildings also shows how vast the man-made landscapes are. Due to the fact that there are many buildings that can be seen, there are many lines in the image, giving it an unnatural look, however the road the car is on has noticeably less lines on it, creating a contrast that allows the car to be seen more clearly.
I chose this as a Final Image because I think the clear lines on the larger building on the right gives the image an urban look, however there are considerably less lines on the building than on the background of the image, making it stand out more. When editing, I made the tone of the image slightly more warm to make the greys more vibrant. I also like the way the low sun allows large shadows to form behind the buildings, while the faces of the buildings facing towards the sun are given a highlight.
I chose this as a final image because I like how the foreground, midground and background are displayed, each separated by water. The foreground contains a building’s roof and 3 people by the edge of the water, this compared to the crane in the midground creates a huge difference in scale, while the background shows a distant bay/headland which aligns almost perfectly with the buildings on the right creating a horizon line of sorts. I think the fact that the image is made up primarily of blues gives the image a unique look for an image displaying an urban landscape.
I chose this as a Final Image because I like the simplicity of the subject of the image, being simply the entrance to a car park, I think that simplicity makes the image link to the New Topographics. When editing I made the the image slightly warmer to help give the image more colour, especially in the greens and browns. I think the blue sky in this image creates a large contrast between the upper and lower half of the images.
I chose this as a final image because I thought the regular lines and shapes gave the image an unnatural look which I think represents a ‘man-made landscape’ nicely. The way that the building is cut of by the frame of the image, as well as how an upwards angle was used when taking the shot, gives the image a closed-in feel. I think that the blue sky may ruin the image’s industrial aesthetic, however the black and white version may resolve this.
I chose this as a final image because I thought the gritty, dirty marks on the walls gave the image a very industrial/urban look, when editing I increased the contrast slightly to enhance those darker parts. The straight lines and regular shapes, as well as the limited colour palette containing mainly creams and browns, also give the image an urban look. The image was taken facing the sun, with the buildings partially obscuring it, this puts the part of the buildings shown in the image in the shadows, meaning there are no parts that are obscured from the viewer.
I chose this as a final image because I think the way part of the building has a shadow cast over it and another has sunlight shining on it creates a nice contrast between those two points. I think that the piping around the building makes it more interesting to look at as it gives it extra lines to break up the plain flat surfaces of the building. Because of the sky, as well as the way the light is reflected in this particular area, there is a lot of blue within the image, which, to me, gives the image a unique and colourful look for an image of an urban area.
I chose this as a Final Image because I think the brown and cream colours of the buildings, the dirt/soot on the roof of the buildings, as well as the shape of the buildings, being made up of regular lines, gives the image a very urban look to me. I also think that the piping on the side of the brown building adds to this effect. I think the focal point of this image is the left face of the brown building, as it is fairly bright, as well as the fact that there are leading lines created from the pipes and window frames that point towards it.
I chose this as a Final Image because I thought looking at a large cityscape horizon through a wired mesh gives the image an urban aesthetic. I like the way the top, dark division of the building is enveloped by a protrusion in the wires – it helps separate it from the rest of the image. When editing I made the tone of the image slightly warmer to give the buildings behind the mesh more colour. This warmer colour, paired with the blue of the sky and the mesh, creates a nice overall colour palette, giving the image an unorthodox look in relation to other urban images.
I made this a final image because I like the way deep shadow is used to create a harsh contrast between the faces of each building. I made the image slightly warmer when editing to give the image more of a ‘golden hour’ look, which I think helps separate this image in style in comparison to other urban images. The focal point, the bright row of faces from the left, stands out from the rest of the image since it is very bright due to how it is facing the sun.
Comparison to Henry Wessel
I chose this picture to compare to Henry Wessel because I thought the viewpoints were fairly similar and both of these images use light and shadow to create a contrast between the different faces of the buildings. Since Wessel mainly took pictures in California, the skies in our pictures are different, with his appearing far lighter due to the harsh sunlight California experiences. I tried to use light and shadow to expose the faces of the building like Wessel does, and I like how that exposure creates a nice, pure white on the face of the building. Wessel’s picture focuses on a far wider range of buildings (which puts more of an emphasis on the landscape), while mine focuses on one/two buildings (which focuses on the little details such as pipes and patterns in urban environments), however in other images I have made in this photoshoot have a wider scope. Wessel makes use of plants such as trees in his images, while (some of) mine do not, I like the effect of contrasting nature with urban landscapes.
‘The New Topographics’ is a term that refers to a group of American Photographers (as well as the artistic movement) in the late 1970’s (Including Robert Adams, Lewis Baltz, Nicolas Nixon, Stephen Shore, etc…) who explored an unconventional view on landscape photography, involving how humans affected nature around them.
Moodboard of Images from the New Topographics Exhibition
These photographers typically produced black and white images which are taken with a derelict, almost boring aesthetic. However, they also had their own sense of beauty in their formality, much like traditional landscape photographs, this beauty was likely derived from the regular lines and patterns created from man-made buildings, which, when paired with natural elements subtly included in the backgrounds of these images, creates a clear juxtaposition between the natural irregular shapes.
What was The New Topographics a reaction to?
In 1975, at the International Museum of Photography in Rochester, New York, William Jenkins gathered 10 photographers whose work documented a “man-altered landscape” in an exhibition called ‘The New Topographics’. The New Topographics as a movement was a reaction to how man had impacted the natural landscapes around them, not only physically, but also artistically, which is very clearly shown in the isolated and banal aesthetic that the photographs used. Unlike photographers such as Ansel Adams, these photographers embraced the idea of depicting nature as being “altered” (the implication being negative to a certain extent) in order to get their message across, rather than displaying nature as “un-altered” to promote conservation.
In a recent review in the Guardian newspaper, photography critic Sean O’Hagan suggested that ‘they were photographing against the tradition of nature photography that the likes of Ansel Adams and Edward Weston had created’
Case Study: Henry Wessel
Henry Wessel was an American photographer who’s work was a part of the original New Topographics exhibition. Wessel’s career in photography was inspired by a book he found in a shop near Pennsylvania University which he was studying at at the time. He started photography career seriously in 1967. Wessel mainly explored the landscapes of California, due to its harsh sunlight which created dense shadows and gave his images a brighter, higher-exposure look. His photography typically creates a deadpan aesthetic which matches nicely with the works of the other photographers who were featured in the New Topographics exhibition.
Image Analysis:
This image, due to California’s harsh sunlight, is slightly over-exposed, with the only dark parts of the image being the shadows and tree leaves. This brightness gives the image a very clear contrast between the dark and bright parts of the image, in addition, the white, bright shades on the buildings are very similar to the colour of the sky, this effect is made clearer due to the image being black and white, giving the image an almost other-wordly look. Both plants and buildings can be seen in this image, with the plants having a far more irregular shape compared to the regular buildings, creating a contrast, or divide, between those aspects. The plants are also far darker in colour compared to the buildings, giving them a contrast in terms of lightness. This image follows the rule of thirds as the focal point, the dark trees, are in the bottom left of the image. While not as obvious as other photographs, the leading lines in this image, such as the cables hung between the poles and the shadow of an off-screen building, do point towards the trees.
Perhaps the meaning behind this image, like the other photographs shown in the New Topographics, is to show humanity’s affects on the natural world. I think Wessel does this effectively through his use of scale/distance, with some buildings being closer than others, and his inclusion of trees in the image.
These locations are mainly coastal landscapes, which will allow me to take pictures of the sea, cliffs and other coastal landmarks. There are also country roads and paths which I can photograph along to give the images a different feel to the coastal landscapes.
Contact Sheets
Contact Sheet of my Best Images (Unedited)
Here I have selected the images I thought were the strongest from the photoshoot, I have selected 10 final images. I made this selection using lightroom’s filtering settings.
For each image I also created a black and white version, giving them a similar look to Ansel Adams’ work
Final Edited Images
I chose this as a final image because I think the overcast, grey sky, paired with the grass on the bank, which seem windswept thus implying movement, gives the image a more chaotic look. I think it is interesting how the road on the bottom left of the image has a darker tone, while the sky in the top right has a much lighter tone, it creates a parallel/contrast between the two points. I also think that the plastic covering on the field having a similar colour to the sky creates an interesting link between the sky and the land.
I chose this as a final image because I liked its composition, with a bank/wall covering about 1/4 of the image in a darker shade of greens/browns, the three poles emerging from that in the centre and the rest of the image being a sky made up of patterns of cloud formations. I edited the image to look warmer and made the bank slightly brighter, while maintaining the stark contrast it gives to the rest of the image. Because of this warmness, I think it gives it a slightly larger colour palette that has a pleasant mix of blues greens and browns. The image was taken from a lower down viewpoint, which allows more of the bank and sky to be seen.
I selected this to be a final image because I found the way the sun, the horizon of trees and the clouds above/surrounding the sun correlate with each other to be a more grandiose scene. I think the slight glare of the sun also makes it appear larger in the image, as well as the bright rays of sunlight that are emitted off of it give it a more sublime or exaggerated look. When editing, I made the images tone slightly more warm, giving it a more exaggerated, sunset-like tone. I kept the contrast between the dark foreground and the sun, as to make the sun itself and the sky the main focus of the image, however I did make the grass slightly brighter to allow more detail to be seen.
I made this a final image because I thought the spray of water in front of the rock, as well as the general roughness of the tide, gave the image a sense of the sublime. I like the way the white part of the water contrasts with the darker tones of the rocks, which I increased slightly during editing, as it helps separate the two further. While editing, I also made the image slightly colder, not only helping to make the rocks look darker, but also giving the sea more colour. I think the way the rocks on the left and right of the image frame it quite nicely, however I think I could have positioned the camera slightly lower down to capture a bit more of the rocks below.
I chose this image for similar reasons for the image above, however I think this image is slightly stronger, due to the framing of the image being slightly better in my eyes. I wanted to keep the contrast the image above had, so I made this image colder to make the white in the water brighter and the browns of the rocks darker. I also gave the rocks themselves a greater contrast, this makes the grooves and nooks in the rocks more defined, giving it a more angular and jagged look. This image also uses a rough sea with breaking waves to create a sense of the sublime within it.
I chose this as a final image because I think the roughness of the sea, paired with the natural jaggedness of the rocks, gives the image a very romantic look. When editing, I made the tone slightly colder, to give the water a slightly more lively aesthetic, and the rocks slightly more exposed, while maintaining their contrast with the white of the sea. The focal point, the rocks in the centre of the image, contrast greatly with the water surrounding them, making them more noticeable, in addition, the rocks on both sides of the image create leading lines towards the rocks in the centre.
I chose this as a final image because I like its composition, with the rocks facing diagonally down into a narrow gulley in which a line of water can be seen, separating the two headlands. I chose to take this picture in a portrait orientation so that this relationship between the rocks and the sea remains the primary focus of the image. The colours in the foreground are somewhat dulled, which creates a contrast between the brighter/more vibrant colours of the ocean, which I made slightly more vibrant when editing by changing the tone of the image to be slightly colder.
I think this image is one of the best from the photoshoot, thus I chose it as a final image. I think the crashing waves, the irregular shape of the headlands and the clarity of the clouds gives the image a romantic aesthetic. When editing, I made the image slightly colder, giving the clouds and sea slightly more colour, I also made the headlands slightly brighter, making the lines and patterns on them more noticeable. I like the way the headland in the foreground (on the right) and the headland in the background (on the left) are separated by a line created by the sea as it gives the image more clarity in its composition.
I chose this as a final image because I like how there is a clear division (made by the horizon line) between a landscape made predominantly by straight or jagged lines and a skyscape which uses far softer and irregular lines and shapes. This difference in look, as well as the clear difference in brightness between the halves (with the bottom half being darker due to the shadows that cover it), creates a contrast between those parts of the image. I think the warm tone of the image, the blue sky with clear cloud formations and the long road gives the image an almost endless, dream-like aesthetic.
I made this a final image because I liked the relationship between the clouds and the road/banks, as they both point diagonally down towards the house near the bottom left of the image. When editing, I made the image wildly different from the others by giving it a warmer, pinkish tone, which can be seen very clearly in the clouds. I think the tone of the image paired with the soft shape of the clouds gives the image a slightly romantic aesthetic. There is a contrast in brightness between the trees and the sky, which separates the land and sky more clearly.
Comparison to Ansel Adams
I thought this image had the closest resemblance to Ansel Adams’ work because it has elements of romanticism within it, with the breaking waves crashing on the vast headlands, as well as the fact that the little surge created between the two headlands loosely mimics the river in Adams’ own image. I also think that the mountains in Adams’ image, specifically their angular shape, are similar to the shape of the headlands in my image, giving them a link in that sense. The sky in Adams’ image is slightly more dramatic than in mine, due to how there is a greater contrast between the lighter and darker parts of the clouds, while my image has less of a contrast. I also think it is interesting how the water and land have a similar relationship in both of the images, with the water being far brighter than the land, creating a contrast that clearly outlines the flow of the water.
Edward Burtynsky is a Canadian photographer and artist known for his large format photographs of industrial landscapes. His works depict locations from around the world that represent the increasing development of industrialization and its impacts on nature and the human existence.
Edward Burtynsky is regarded as one of the world’s most accomplished contemporary photographers. His remarkable photographic depictions of global industrial landscapes represent over 40 years of his dedication to bearing witness to the impact of humans on the planet.
“We come from nature. There is an importance to [having] a certain reverence for what nature is because we are connected to it… If we destroy nature, we destroy ourselves.“ – Edward Burtynsky
Examples of Edwards work:
George Marazakis
George Marazakis is an Anthropocene photographer who was inspired by Edward Burtynsky that has a very similar style of images compare Edward. Marazakis has a repetitive style of images by photographing locations that seem to be more dry and desolate.
Examples of George Marazakis work:
Artist comparison:
George Marazakis
Edward Burtnsky
This is a comparison of two different Anthropocene artists, Edward Burtnsky and George Marazakis. I first noticed that both images are very similar, with both displaying what seems to be either a mine or a quarry. In Edwards image the tone of the land is noticeably more darker compared to which could be related to how the world is slowly becoming in danger. Both images seem to show the same amount of landscape with Georges including a little lake at the bottom of the mine.
To compare the two artists, Georges images display less colour and involve colours that are a lot more dull and boring. However Burtnskys images are all taken in different kinds of landscapes showing a lot of vibrant and also dull colours. Georges photos are mostly seen to be taken in desert landscapes without much man-made structures. Burtnsky is trying to show the impact of humans on the world by expressing his thoughts through photos of industrial landscapes.
Since the Industrial Revolution began, human activity has substantially changed the atmosphere. Carbon-dioxide levels are higher today than they have been in at least 800,000 years. The ocean’s pH is changing at an unprecedented rate, reaching levels of acidity that animals have not experienced in the last 20 million years. We are living in a time many people refer to as the Anthropocene. Humans have become the single most influential species on the planet, causing significant global warming and other changes to land, environment, water, organisms and the atmosphere. t is widely accepted that our species, has had such a significant impact on Earth and its inhabitants that we will have a lasting – and potentially irreversible – influence on its systems and environment
Photography is a great way to tackle the problem of Anthropocene, as with pictures you can easily and clearly display the impact our species has had on this planet better than using words. Photographs that portray Anthropocene is a great way to create awareness of the problem and create new solutions to tackle the problem as well as more people tackling the problem. Photographers have been working to spread the cause of tackling Anthropocene, one example of this is an exhibition known as “The World to Come: Art in the Age of the Anthropocene”, featuring 45 artists, many of them photographers, whose work addresses human impact on the environment. The exhibition title refers to the current geological era, named the Anthropocene because most scientists consider human activity to be the primary force behind rapid, changes to the earth’s climate and ecosystems.
Examples of Anthropocene photography
Ideas of photo locations for this topic
Industrial sites
Landfill sites / the dump
Large landscapes such as the sand dunes
Heavily littered areas
heavily populated areas such as St. Helier
Ideas of different photography skills for this topic
