In this essay I am going to compare two movement photographers. The first being Eadweard Muybridge who pioneered capturing speed in photography. I will also discuss the impact that he had on the photography community. The second is George Marriot who is a local photographer in Jersey who works on all types of photography but primarily photographs sport, specifically football and horse racing. I will discuss the technical aspect of photographing movement including how the technology has changed from Eadweard Muybridge’s time of work to present day.
The art of photographing movement has been made far more accessible with modern camera technology. For Example, when Muybridge created his photos, he had upwards of fifteen cameras called a zoopraxiscopeset to take an image at a specific time. With modern technology however it is possible to set a camera to take continuous photos when the trigger button is pressed. This feature is called a motor drive. The term motor drive in the field of photography originated in film cameras where high end cameras would use an electric motor to spin the film reel once an image was taken unlike regular cameras where the user would need to use a manual lever. Shutter speed is probably the most important aspect of photographing moving objects. Shutter speed is the amount of time the shutter is open exposing the sensor. The two most important parts of movement photography depend on the speed of the shutter being perfect. These parts are light and blur. For the photographer to reduce blur in his image he must have a very fast shutter speed. However, if the shutter speed is too quick the sensor will not have time to collect enough light and the image will be too dark. This is also applicable in an opposite scenario. If the shutter speed is set too high. There will be plenty of light, yet the moving object will be blurry as is has moved a significant amount in the time she shutter is open. This is what makes movement photography so challenging as the photographer mut find the perfect balance between light and blur.
Eadweard Muybridge was an English photographer from the 1800s who made a name for himself in 1878 when he produced and published his most famous set of images. He showed the movement of a horse running using photographs. This photoshoot made use of a rig containing upwards of fifty cameras all set to trigger at the perfect time as the horse was in the centre. After researching Muybridge’s project, I found that the project was funded by Former California Governor Leland Stanford who wanted the photographs to settle a bet that horses have all four hoofs off the ground at the same time at one point in their gallop. After the success of his first photoshoot Eadweard began to experiment with photographing the motion of different objects. Using his stop-motion method he spent a lot of time photographing fencing. These images were incredibly interesting as they allowed people to see the details of actions, they would not be able to see with their naked eye. Eadweard Muybridge said “Only photography has been able to divide human life. into a series of moments, each of them has the value of a complete existence.” He said about how each one of the movements has the value of its own existence. This truly shows how passionate he was about his work as well as about his models. He also said that only photography has been able to divide human life. This could be meant in the literal sense being that the images are divided. I think that it is meant on a more metaphorical scale where the persons life can be divided into frames like a movie. Over the next few years Muybridge continued experimenting with stop motion photography.
George Marriot is a local jersey photographer who works for the jersey bulls. He has worked on many projects, personal and business, involving movement such as, rally, horse racing and football. George uses a canon EOS 750D as well as a canon 70-200mm telephoto lens. This setup is great for movement photography. The camera has a motor drive meaning he can take multiple consecutive photos in a very short period. This allows him to ensure he can capture a moment with a very short window. Additionally, the telephoto lens gives the ability to capture high quality images of subjects that are further away.
There are many similarities and differences between these two photographers. They are similar in the way that they are both showing movement in photography as well as using multiple images in sequence. It is their methods of creating the images that really separates them as photographers. Firstly, Muybridge used upwards of fifteen cameras mounted to a rig. This set up would be extremely expensive as well as very complicated to use as each camera would need to be reset with film. Marriot however uses a single camera that takes multiple images. This method is a lot faster to set up and a lot less costly, as new cameras do not require film and do not take any time to reset. I find Muybridge photography to be more interesting due to it showing movement in multiple images rather than just the one that Marriot creates. This is because it is a much more unique style of presenting images. On the other hand, Georges images are much easier to present and look out as the viewer does not need to think. It is interesting that Muybridge decided to present his images as a collage rather than a single image. He could have layered the images to make an interesting holographic effect. That however would have been difficult due to the limitations of technology.
Bibliography
Animals in motion – Muybridge Eadweard, 1955, Dover Publications
Photography: A Cultural History, Marien, Mary Warner, 2006, Laurence King Publishing
‘Skateboarding is powerful enough to change one’s vision of the world – concrete is no longer simply a building material, a bench is no longer just for sitting, and stairs and accompanying handrails are no longer simply devices to aid one in descending or ascending from one level to another. The urban world is a massive and intricate playground to be explored, full of potential.’ In this study I am going to investigate how the world of skateboarding can be portrayed through photography, capturing photographs from unusual angles that you do not usually see in skateboarding photography. I have been skateboarding from the age of 13 and have always been interested in the media side of skateboarding, whether that is filming or photographing skateboarding. I want to show in this study how the world can be portrayed through skateboarding and how differently the world is seen through a skateboarder’s eyes. 2 photographers pop up in mind when I think about my intentions with this study, Tristan Still and Fred Mortagne. These certain photographers portray the world of skateboarding in their own unique ways, with Fred Mortagne even being nicknamed ‘Frangle’ – the unusual angle only he sees. Both artists have been documenting skateboarding since the 1990s, when skateboarding first started gaining popularity, capturing genuine and gritty shots of early skateboarders. This study could be linked with my previous urban photography work, as skateboarding is all about finding new spots within urban areas to experiment different tricks with. In this study I have explored finding new unused angles within the urban area of jersey as well as the skatepark to capture unique photographs of skaters. My work has developed from just taking my camera out with me every time I go for a skate with my friends, taking photographs of them as we skate about to create this photobook. Different digital processes were used to create some of my final images, such as Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom editing.
How have Martin Parr and Mark Power explored the concept of the weather in their work?
“I was looking for pictures that were visual metaphors for the spoken words” – Mark Power in an online interview with Joanna Creswell.
The study of weather in photography is situated within the genre of landscape but can be linked with the theory of the Sublime, pictorialism and realism. This suggests how the concept of weather is used in photography and art to transform the outcome of images. These images can appear through dark and gloomy days where the sun hides away, or bright and overexposed on days when the sun is gleaming high above in the sky. Martin Parr and Mark Powers make photographs in different ways, but both pay attention to the weather, which can be viewed as a British obsession. This is seen in Parr’s work and his project ‘Bad Weather’ where he takes a documentary approach to image-making, whereas Power’s project ‘The Shipping Forecast’ focuses of the metaphorical concept of weather and how the radio broadcast (of which his project originated from) can be helpful and creates a sense of comfort for those who are listening. This exploration of different landscapes is vital and important within Jersey because it raises awareness of places people may not have seen before such as Fern Valley or Swiss Valley – places which are unlike the coasts that Jersey is most known for such as St. Brelades Bay or St. Ouen’s. Therefore, the concept of weather plays a major part in the outcome of images because it alters the way woodland areas appear; some are muddy and wet whereas others are relatively dry. But this did not impact the way that nature still carries on in unique ways which can romanticise the landscape, such as fungi taking over the forest floor, or the way that leaves wrapped around a tree and reflections of the nature in puddles of water.
The concept of weather in realism and pictorialism photography
The concept of weather in photography can be seen in the theory of the Sublime, developed by Edmund Burke in the 18th Century. This theory focuses on how the Sublime is viewed. On the Tate website, it states ‘He [Burke] defined the sublime as an artistic effect productive of the strongest emotion the mind is capable of feeling.’ (Tate, n.d.) This is used to show how Burke defined the theory of the Sublime into different feelings such as terror and fear, obscurity and power. These categories are used to describe how an artistic image can create the strongest feelings of emotion which the mind can produce and how these will always be products of the Sublime within art and photography. The Sublime is used within the genre of landscape as it influenced early painters, such as J.M.W. Turner’s work of sea storms and different mountain scenes as well as the German painter, Caspar David Friedrich such as his painting “The Sea of Ice” made in 1823-24. The use of the Sublime is viewed as a path into the development of Pictorialism in photography, this originated during the 1880s-1920s and it focuses on how photography was a process similar to creating a piece of art using techniques that would mimic painterly effects, whereas Realism, depicted how photographers captured the accuracy of the real world through the optic camera. In an online article, Lauren Adolf writes, “It was naturalistic and real, rather than ethereal and modified. The images were minimal, however beautifully composed.” (Adolf 2021) This explained how photographers were beginning to move away from Pictorialism and focus on creating natural images through different landscapes, architecture and objects alongside the concept of weather. Many people criticised Straight Photography, claiming that it does not show the artistic and photographic process celebrated within Pictorialism, but many photographers have shared elements of these ‘isms’ within their works. This is because many people claimed how Realism did not hold the same manipulation techniques as Pictorialism, which included using soft-focusing, smearing Vaseline on the lens to give it a painterly effect, the use of different filters, and allegorical forms. There are a variety of photographers who were influenced by the theory of Sublime within their work and experiment with both Pictorialism and Realism. This is shown in the work of the photographer, Alfred Stieglitz. Stieglitz wrote how ‘the works could express pure emotion, paralleling the artist’s own inner state.’ (The Alfred Stieglitz Collection, 2016) This describes the inner process in which Stieglitz carried out to create many of his works as they represented his thoughts and feelings following the theory of the Sublime, which can be seen in works such as his ‘Equivalents’, a series of images produced in 1923. This is of images regarding clouds during different weather conditions and how they are used to provoke different emotions within a person’s mind, showing the theory of Sublime. In comparison, the theory of Sublime within the genre of landscape photography can be shown in both Caspar David Friedrich’s work which is mentioned above, as well as Alfred Stieglitz’s work. This is because Friedrich’s painting “The Sea of Ice” shows how the ice is used to represent the fear and terror that can be created by these ice formations which evokes a sense of power of how the painted image can manipulate the way your mind perceives reality. This painting holds similarities and differences to Stieglitz’s work in ‘Equivalents’ provokes the feeling of obscurity due to the formation of the clouds and how Stieglitz uses this to create a sense of fear due to how the clouds holds a dark colour within them. Therefore, both images represent the genre of landscape as they can be viewed within a theoretical framework of the concept of the Sublime and how this is linked towards the change from Pictorialism to Realism in art and photography.
David Friedrich, The Sea of Ice, 1823-24.Alfred Stieglitz, Equivalent, 1924.
Martin Parr
Throughout Martin Parrs work, he represents a documentary approach when photographing weather which is more associated with photojournalism and editorial photography. Parr has used a variety of techniques over time. In an online article titled ‘How does Martin Parr take a photo?’ it describes all the different techniques he used, from the 1970s in early black and white photography to the mid 2000’s where he switches to digital photography. For example, by 2017 he is using a wider-angle lens which allows him to observe a scene from a larger perspective. This can be seen in Parr’s early project called ‘Bad weather’ where he experiments with the concept of weather within photography. ‘Bad Weather’ is labelled as a project which focuses on the British obsession with the weather, as it is a topic of conversation that many of us discuss daily. Although many photographers tend to avoid photographing in bad weather, Parr decides to discuss it through his photography. On the website ‘The Photographers Gallery’, it states “He feels that bad weather often creates an atmosphere lacking in bright, sunny weather, has gone out to see how bad reveals the character of the things we see.” (thephotographersgallery.org.uk, n.d.) and this quote reveals how Parr imagines that the weather, whether it is good or bad, represents the characteristics in which we cannot see and how it creates an atmosphere depending on the weather, whether it is windy or rainy. One of the photographs from ‘Bad Weather’ called “Jubilee Street Party Elland, Yorkshire” taken in 1977 is said to be one of the most popular images from Parr’s series, (Huxley-Parlour Gallery, 2013). This is because it shows a deserted street of where there once were celebrations taking place which was destroyed and abandoned due to the change of weather. This creates an element of juxtaposition within the photo as the table is still laid formally with cakes and plates although the tablecloths are seen to be blowing within the wind and the rain is seen to be lashing down, showing the happiness of celebrations but contrasted with the dreary and glum from the bad weather, as if it wants to ruin it. This creates an eerie atmosphere within the photo. This is because it shows how the weather ruins scenes where people were enjoying themselves, but in a comical and humorous way due to how the scene remains as it were and no one has bothered to tidy up, as if they were expecting it to happen, or even waiting for it.
Martin Parr, Jubilee Street Party, Yorkshire 1977.
Mark Power
Mark Power’s is another British photographer, who focuses on the metaphorical concept of weather within photography. Power has produced a book called Shipping Forecast that follows a journey of the British institution of ‘The Shipping Forecast’. This is a broadcast that runs four times a day on BBC Radio 4 and is used to help mariners know what weather to expect when they are out on their boats, which is crucial in life-or-death situations, as it splits the waters of Western Europe into 31 sea areas, from Dover to German Bright. The broadcast is also listened to by many because it holds a soft, poetic voice which many find comforting as it creates these whimsical images of places many of us only imagine, while describing if it is raining, snowing and so on. In an online article from Magnum Photos, Power’s explains his intentions for the project when he states, “The project was about those of us – and we are in our millions – who, through the Forecast, experience a reinforced sense of ‘Britishness’.” Powers uses this comment because it shows how he used the concept of weather in his photography. This is because the weather is a British obsession, stated previously by analysis of Martin Parr’s work, and is used by many British people in conversations as it is a topic which many of us discuss when we talk to one another which reinforces that sense of identity within the theme of ‘Britishness’ as it creates a community in which we can all relate too. Another comment is made by Joanna Cresswell, the producer of the online article about Power’s work. She states “Power’s photographs – black and white, enigmatic and brooding – offer a complementary dichotomy of romance and threat; oscillating between whimsy and foreboding as storm clouds merge above the people he photographs.”(Cresswell, 2018) and this describes the overall theme of juxtaposition, showing the safety the broadcast provides but the lingering threat of the dangers at sea, that Power has created for ‘The shipping forecast’. One of Power’s images called TRAFALGAR depicts the vision of this quote from Cresswell, because the photograph represents that ‘threat’ of what sea creatures are lingering beneath the sea. This is using the shadowed figured, which gives a contorted look due to its position. It could represent a sea monster and the uncertainty of not knowing what may be in large areas of the sea that many of us are yet to explore. On the other hand, the photograph could also represent the ‘romance’ of travelling around and not knowing what you may stumble across as the picture is in black and white, which could be used to represent places that have not been visited before and the uncertainty behind it, which romanticises the fear of the unknown as it makes us excited. Therefore, Power’s work links well within the concept of weather in photography because his work represents the uncertainty of what we may encounter when we are travelling around by boat at sea, but his work also creates the comfort and security which many people feel when listening to ‘The Shipping Forecast’ on BBC Radio 4.
Mark Powers, TRAFALGAR, 13 June 1994.
Conclusion
Martin Parr and Mark Power’s share both similarities and differences within their work. The differences within their work are evident, this is because we can see how Martin Parr takes a documentary approach within his work as he records the British obsession of weather, and how it can completely change the outcome of a scene and the atmosphere which is being created due to the weather. In Power’s work it is shown that he takes a metaphorical approach within his work where he uses his photographs to create an imaginative story of what may lie within the sea boundaries and its maritime communities within. There are also some similarities which they share within their work, and this is seen through the concept of how they both view weather as a British phenomenon and how they understand that many photographers avoid photographing in weather conditions such as rain, windy, damp, but Parr and Power see this as a British way to create a sense of identity and focus on ‘Britishness’ as well as how unusual yet unique the characteristics of bad weather can be and what stories they can create. In my own work, I wanted to encapsulate the concept of weather within nature, unlike Parr and Power because I think that the impact of weather can completely change the way it effects nature such as leaves, trees and plants to represent Power’s influence on my work, where it contains a comforting yet whimsical effect. In both Power’s and Parr’s work they have also used people within their photographs to create a further sense of story and narrative. This is an element which I have carried through my work as well when I have been out for walks with my family and our dog. I think that this element of people and animals, although it may only be a few, adds a feeling of comfort to my images as it makes them seem more homely and carries that assuring feeling that I have wanted to create throughout my photobook.
Examples of my work –
Bibliography
Nast, C. (2022). Vanessa Winship recounts her wanderings through the winter landscape. [online] Vogue. Available at: https://www.vogue.com/article/vanessa-winship-recounts-her-wanderings-through-the-winter-landscape [Accessed 11 Jan. 2023].
Adolf, L. (2021). AH 331 History of Photography Spring 2021 Compendium: Pictorialism versus Straight Photography: An Argument of Artfulness. [online] AH 331 History of Photography Spring 2021 Compendium. Available at: https://scalar.chapman.edu/scalar/ah-331-history-of-photography-spring-2021-compendium/lauren-adolph-essay-3 [Accessed 12 Jan. 2023].
The Alfred Stieglitz Collection. (2016). The Alfred Stieglitz Collection | Straight Photography. [online] Available at: https://archive.artic.edu/stieglitz/straight-photography/ [Accessed 12 Jan. 2023].
Tate (n.d.). Sublime – Art Term. [online] Tate. Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/s/sublime#:~:text=The%20theory%20of%20sublime%20art [Accessed 19 Jan. 2023].
The Nature of Writing. (n.d.). Edmund Burke on the Sublime | Literary Theory. [online] Available at: https://natureofwriting.com/courses/literary-theory-1/lessons/edmund-burke/topic/the-sublime/ [Accessed 19 Jan. 2023].
www.rmg.co.uk. (n.d.). How does Martin Parr take a photo? [online] Available at: https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/how-does-martin-parr-take-photo [Accessed 23 Jan. 2023].
thephotographersgallery.org.uk. (n.d.). Martin Parr: Bad Weather | The Photographers Gallery. [online] Available at: https://thephotographersgallery.org.uk/whats-on/martin-parr-bad-weather [Accessed 23 Jan. 2023].
Huxley-Parlour Gallery. (2013). Bad Weather – Huxley-Parlour Gallery. [online] Available at: https://huxleyparlour.com/critical-texts/martin-parrs-bad-weather/ [Accessed 24 Jan. 2023].
Cresswell, J. (2018). The Shipping Forecast • Mark Power • Magnum Photos. [online] Magnum Photos. Available at: https://www.magnumphotos.com/arts-culture/society-arts-culture/mark-power-the-shipping-forecast/ [Accessed 24 Jan. 2023].
Diaz, A. (1981). Robert Adams Beauty in Photography. www.academia.edu, [online] pp.20–36. Available at: https://www.academia.edu/33248645/Robert_Adams_Beauty_in_Photography [Accessed 27 Jan. 2023].
‘How is the theme of Anthropocene explored through the photography of Lewis Baltz and Richard Misrach?”
“I’ve come to believe that beauty can be a very powerful conveyor of difficult ideas. It engages people when they might otherwise look away”– (R.Misrach, Look at this if you love great photography, 2021)
Throughout my personal study I would like to explore to theme of Anthropocene, looking at how the growing population has affected our natural environment and utilised our natural landscapes to build housing and support the islands economies, such as the finance district and the recycling centre. The relevance of Anthropocene today has elevated my interest in this concept and highlighted the importance of our climate surviving. It is imperative to consider the impact that the growing population previously had on the planet and how this issue only increases. As stated in my opening quote, I will be attempting to analyse how Anthropocene helps bring positive attention towards “difficult ideas” and how photography has highlighted issues of urban expansion. Throughout my project my main aim is to highlight the severity of our current climate crisis and look back at how artists such as Lewis Baltz and Richard Misrach have explored Anthropocene in their work. To illustrate this, I will be going into detail regarding modernism and post-modernism approaches to photography, in particularly how the celebrated work of Ansel Adams and his contemporaries in Group f.64 influenced a new group of post-war landscape photographers who was put together in the landmark exhibition in 1975, New Topographics held at the George Eastman House’s International Museum of Photography.
Robert Adams Mobile Homes, Jefferson County, Colorado, 1973
Lewis Baltz was in this select group of photographers and in this study I will investigate what motivated himself and Richard Misrach to turn their camera on man-made landscapes. In Fotogalleriet Oslo’s book ‘Conversation on Photography’, Baltz states ‘Whether being legitimate or illegitimate, photography was still a product of the industrial revolution.’ (Baltz 2018:74). This quote could be considered controversial as the revolution had a strongly negative impact on our landscape, but without this advancement in technological thinking, the camera may have not been created for Baltz to use. Despite Baltz and Misrach appearing in two different movements, I think they complement each other well. This is because I would like to merge their styles of photography together, using simple compositions and then editing images and colours in subtle ways. I will be responding to their works be recreating some of their images using different photographs from my La Marais and St Clement photoshoot. These will then be edited in monochromatic, to reflect Lewis Baltz’s work, or, manipulated using the ‘invert’ colour tool in Photoshop. The hypothesis above, which addresses how Anthropocene has been explored by Baltz and Misrach will be developed by taking images of highly industrialised areas with natural formations still occurring throughout and surrounding them. This will help me demonstrate that Anthropocene is a constant change in the environment, despite the human population destroying the planet, there is some hope that any natural life can still flourish.
“The new Industrial Parks near Irvine, California.” Lewis Baltz- 1974
The historical context and development surrounding the concept of Anthropocene is one that is very detailed and complex. It all began with the renowned photographer Ansel Adams and his celebrated images of the American west. Throughout his photographic research, Robert Adams states in David Bate’s book, Photography The Key Concepts that ‘photography can be spilt into four stages; Experimental, Factual, Pictorialist and the New photography’ (D, Bate. 2009: 97), along with ‘Pictorialism’ being the term given for disputes regarding whether photography was an expressive form or art of a scientific study. Later, the concept that photographs could be facts were introduced, and during the 1970’s, the ‘New Topographic’ movement started to emerge, with artists such as Robert Adams and Lewis Baltz (among others) involved in making new images responding to changes in the natural and man-made landscape. Photography was not only regarded as art, but as a way of recording how the environment was changing too. This is a key factor in my project as this was a major turning point for photography, as Robert Adams was vital in making sure that these photographers work was not disregarded as ‘recordings’ but was also important art works. Focusing on landscapes which were man-made but now considered part of human’s natural cycle meant that understanding the importance of the gradual change in the landscape was vital. As the landscape changed; so, did photography. For example, the term ‘picture perfect’ started to be considered, as this wouldn’t have occurred without the development of technology of landscape.
Colorado, Colorado Springs, Robert Adams- 1968-71
It is evident that throughout Robert Adams’ work he would as a modernist artist, including formal characteristics such as stark lines and dark shadows. There is also an aspect of minimalism in this image above as aesthetically it is increasingly interesting, it could be interpreted that this photograph reflected how industrial features and increasing levels of housing was now becoming a mundane and repetitive feature of society. With the condition of the late 1960’s appearing to be one which Robert Adams has shown as ever-changing, the relevance of modernism fades as more aspects of new ways of thinking about art and culture in general, the term ‘post-modernism’ begins to emerge. The conditions in which post-modernism formed are some which could have been previously predicted, as this new interpretation of photography was build on the foundation that modernism was preoccupied by the vision of a utopian world that could be captured through art, and as photography can be an illusion, creating a dreamlike world through the lens. The consequence of this was the next era being more focused on idealism and reason, whilst suspicion still occurred surrounding the fact that post-modernism left less area for creative thought and higher perspective. Despite post- modernism supposedly being a contemporary mindset in which art was formed, it could also be said that post-modernism is filled with too many dark and serious themes.
AdamsBaltz
Lewis Baltz was a contemporary photographer who focused on adapting the American environment and how the concept of Anthropocene began to emerge in the American west where lived and worked. His explorations led him through California, Nevada and Park City. In 1975 Baltz took part in a travelling photography exhibition inspired by a minimalist approach to landscape photography, the ‘New Topographics: Photographs of a Man-Altered Environment’. He was given the opportunity to show his images from ‘The New Industrial Parks’ and the aim of this exhibition was to illustrate that the industrial revolution had come to an end. This exhibition was a major turning point in his career and it identifies the shift from his ‘conceptual photography’ to ‘minimalism’. The main purpose of his images, in his words, was ‘searching for beauty in desolation and destruction’ (https://www.metalocus.es/en/news/beauty-desolation-and-destruction-work-lewis-baltz-photographer) as he states in and this refers to the destruction that human life had caused. The US population had increased from around 23 million in 1850 to approximately 150 million in 1950. This is vital to consider as it demonstrates how the climate would change to such a state of ‘destruction’. By looking at Baltz’s images it can be interpreted that he enjoys photographing urban infrastructure and this is one way in which he likes exploring Anthropocene. Additionally, he has explored many different geographical areas, this demonstrated his passion for photography and how this translated through to the many different types of images he created.
Ansel Adams Lewis Baltz
Pictured above is one image from Baltz’s Nevada collection. I think this is one of his most influential pieces as it is the most visual representation of the reaction to Ansel Adams’ and Edward Weston’s work, an adequate representation of Anthropocene. The layout of the image itself illustrates how Baltz explores Anthropocene throughout all of his work, this is because the type of photography attempts to communicate the message that human habitation has little regard for the natural landscape. The house being placed in the foreground and the hills being very dark in the background could suggest that Baltz was exploring how Anthropocene had changed not only the environment but humans mindsets too. This may be because consideration for preserving the landscape was decreasing, as the increasing population needed to use up these precious areas for themselves as the light within this image highlights the house and not its surroundings, meaning that the focus was now catering for human life and its needs. Baltz has discussed that architecture has been a huge part of his work, in Remi Coignet book Conversations, Baltz says that ‘I have a curiosity and interest for architecture because I am interested in the world. And architecture is the largest. most durable part of the manmade world, so that not too mysterious’. This comments helps us to unwind the reasons why Baltz began his work to begin with, but additionally shows that his interest in the world may have been why his work regarding Anthropocene has been so successful and reveered in the contemporary photography world. Furthermore, this provides evidence that Baltz has approached the concept of the planet changing in a way which focuses not on the decrease of natural landscape still available, but the increase of architecture and how much space humans have immersed in.
Arizona, 2014
‘In life, you’re in motion on a path somewhere. There’s always momentum, but a photograph defies that linear quality of time; it stops us so that we can contemplate something we normally wouldn’t pay attention to.’- on Landscape and Meaning (Misrach 2021: 26). From the perspective of Richard Misrach throughout the 1970’s, he explains that a vital part of life is being on a so called “path” and this is a metaphorical representation of how he perceives his photography. This is demonstrated in some of his work like the image above taken in Arizona. This path is just one example of how his words are reflected in his work. Misrach’s first project depicted homeless residents of Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley, California but it had limited success. This is important and it highlights a turning point in his career because without this failure he may not have begun his longest and more developed project; Desert Cantos. Beginning in 1979, Misrach focused on taking photographs of natural life such as cacti, and took wide-angled images of the desert both in the day and night. It can be interpreted that Misrach explores the theme of Anthropocene because of his amorality for natural life and structure when he states that the reason for this project was: “I was in search of the miraculous” Misrach 2021: 26) as this quote identifies the motivation behind his passion for landscape photography.
Desert Cantos- Misrach (1979)
After considering the origins and reasoning behind his desire to photograph the western American environment, the question of why he Misrach engages in exploring Anthropocene begins to emerge. This contemplation is one which can be explained through Misrach’s awareness of the deterioration the planet has been undergoing. He states that ‘photographs are reminders that they is no way to avoid the stark realities the viewer may wish to ignore, ranging from the cost environment of nuclear testing to the harm caused by industrial development and petrochemical production’ (Padley2021: 195). This explains that Misrach interprets photographs as a method of educating people by communicating that our current climate crisis cannot be ignored. Misrach’s work is a visual representation of these ‘stark realities’, and it could be interpreted he is aware of the influence his work has on his audience. Publishing such damaging photographs of the plummeting environmental conditions may be his way of exploring Anthropocene as this method is identifiable and direct.
BaltzMisrach
Overall, the exploration of Anthropocene throughout Lewis Baltz’s and Richard Misrach’s work is a very interesting journey. The main aspect to highlight would be the fact that Baltz and Misrach takes very different approaches to their photography. For example, Misrach focused on photographing natural landscape which has been negatively effected by mankind, whilst Lewis photographs natural areas which have been transformed into beautiful architecture, as he attempts to illustrate that these forms are the new ‘natural’. This highlights a very significant difference between the two artists as the way in which they geographically explore Anthropocene means that there is a noticeable difference in their interpretation and visualisation of this concept. They both physically explore very effected areas, but with Baltz exploring California and Misrach exploring Arizona’s deserts, this allows for a lot of creative freedom and difference between their style of work and its objectives. It is evident that Baltz was searching for beauty in the destruction of the world, and Misrach was attempting to make more people pay attention to the destruction that was occurring around them where they lived. I think this holds a lot of importance as both artists have conveyed Anthropocene as a subject which is undergoing constant change, whilst individually highlighting that the destruction occurring throughout our planet is an idea which needs to be addressed with more sensitivity and less misconduct.
My response to the ‘Anthropocene’ project
I have included a visual example of my work throughout my own project which focused on Anthropocene. This image demonstrates alongside the work of Baltz that industrial areas are a great way to explore the topic of Anthropocene, as they provide lots of areas that catch the viewers eye, along with lots of detail throughout the infrastructure of the building. Both my example and Baltz’s work include detail in metal work, with plain backgrounds to contrast the structure and draw attention to the focal point of the image: the construction. However, this piece could still be comparable to the work of Misrach as the warm lighting is very much like this work. Furthermore, I can relate my work more towards the mindset and thought process behind that of Richard Misrach, this is because he believes that he’s “…come to believe that art is a really important way of communicating, not only with current generations, but future generations.” (https://news.artnet.com/art-world/richard-misrach-art21-1946853). I fully support this concept and it relates back to the purpose of my whole personal study, with me attempting to communicate and bring awareness to what has been happening to the climate.
Bibliography
Baltz, L. (2010) Lewis Baltz Texts. Germany: Steidl
Baltz, L. (2001) PHOTO PHAIDON 55. New York: Phaidon Press
Campany, D. (2018) Conversation on Photography. Rome: Contrasto
D, Bate. (2009) Photography. New York: BERG
Misrach, R. (2021) on Landscape and Meaning. New York: Aperture
Jones, K. (2014) Remi Coignet Conversations. Paris: The Eyes Publishing
Misrach. R/ Orff. K (2012) Petrochemical America. New York: Aperture
Padley, G. (2021). Look at this if you love great photography. London: Ivy Press.
S, Verlag. (2009) New Topographics. University of Arizona: CCP
Szarkowski, J. (1966) The Photographers Eye. New York: The Museum of Modern Art
Respini, E. (2009) into the sunset PHOTOGRAPHY’S IMAGE OF THE AMERICAN WEST. New York: The Museum of Modern Art
To start editing, I narrowed my image selection down by using the ‘Pick’ and ‘Reject’ tool on Lightroom.
I then used the Star Rating feature to further narrow it down.
Out of this selection, I selected the 3 images that I gave a five star rating, as these would be the best images out of the set.
Final Edited Images
These are the best three images from this photoshoot after being edited:
I have also made some black and white versions of these images:
Comparison to Biró’s work:
As I was inspired by this image in particular, I tried to make my images resemble this one as much as I could, I used a coloured (blue) background to mirror the pink in Biró’s image, I used a white board with ‘plants’ poking through, creating some similarities between the two. However, I tried to make my image differ from Biró’s as much as I could: first, I made my images appear colder using the cold light, giving it a far less welcoming aesthetic. Biró’s image depicts a whole plant in a pot poking through the white board, however my image depicts many parts of a plant (leaves, flowers, stems, etc.) poking through in an erratic fashion, with some lying on the floor, mirroring themes of destruction and death of plant life. I made use of harsh lighting to create shadows, giving my image more contrast and a far darker look.
Evaluation
I think this was a successful photoshoot as I was able to mimic the style of Biró’s work, while also applying my own style and ideas onto it, creating something unique in the process. I am not the most experienced when it comes to object/studio photography so this was a good way to improve my skills in this area, I think my ability to create a set to photograph has improved as well. I have matched my success criteria for this shoot well, my idea for putting a twist on Biró’s work by making the lighting more intense has been executed successfully, giving the shoot a more serious tone, which will fit nicely into this project’s theme.
What went well:
I think the final images for this shoot are strong, and will fit into my project involving humanity vs nature, as the images provide an artistic, painterly feel of older still life photographs, as well as a darker, slightly more surreal tone. I like the way these images look similar to a still life painting, with the scene purposely created and not found, which perhaps acts as another way to make the images appear even more unnatural. Even though the colours in these images are darker than what I would normally do, they are still very much present in these images, which gives them a more vibrant sense of life.
How I can improve:
For this photoshoot I only used one piece, with the only difference being some ink smeared on the board to give it more colour/shapes, if I were to do something similar to this in the future, I could try and create another piece to create more variety. I could have also made use of gels to give the images more colour as a means of experimentation.
For my second shoot I decided to take some pictures of myself and some of my mum. The first part of the shoot consisted of me recreating three images from our family album. The second part were some self portraits of me doing things my mum usually does, like washing the dishes, eating etc. I tried dressing similar to how she usually does when she is home. At the end of the photoshoot, I took some pictures of my mum sitting by the window and doing what she usually does after work, that I can compare to the images I took of myself. The process of the photoshoot wasn’t that bad, but I didn’t like recreating the images with myself because I couldn’t get it right. I did however enjoy taking pictures of my mum.
