Why did I choose rural landscapes for Anthropocene?

I chose to do landscapes as its my favourite way to photograph, i prefer having a bigger picture of the scenery, rather than photographing specific objects up close. I also didn’t want to limit myself to a certain topic such as plastics. Whilst doing research on artists who base some of their work off Anthropocene I became inspired by Axel Braun who had photographed rural landscapes and also urban structures such as electric towers (within rural areas).

How did i plan?

Initially, I planned to do three photoshoots: Land erosion, Reservoirs and electric towers. I ended up completing two and also taking a variation of any other scenery whilst i was out photographing. I picked days when it wasn’t raining and more of a clear sky, also going out just before/ after the sun had set to create a darker more relaxing lighting. Since it had been raining consecutively for the previous few days there was a few land slides on edges of banks and also found flooding on a filed which had shown the bank eroding into it. Id say I definitely attempted to thoroughly go by my plan but as always ended up changing things last minute due to the weather and amount of time I had. For example I planned to go to Val De La Mar but the busses were too long and sun would’ve already set and i only had week days after school/ evenings to carry my photoshoots out.

Photoshoot – experimenting with editing

Whilst carrying out my photoshoots i was mainly on the north coast, ensuring there was no rain and a clear view to enhance my images and make them more clear, having a dim lighting helped give my images more character rather than broad daylight. However, it was very muddy and difficult to get to certain places but especially for one of my final images where im capturing land erosion i had to walk quite far and try get to the location which was quite steep and difficult. My shutter speed was on the wrong setting which therefore created my images to come out more blurry than i expected, this was frustrating as all the other images were fine and i couldn’t properly look back to check (land erosion images). After uploading all my images to the media drive i began editing them in Lightroom and photoshop, keeping in mind i didn’t need to edit them dramatically as Axel Braun’s landscapes were very simplistic. Although, with one image i took from underneath an electric tower i experimented with editing and i like the outcome which is why i have put it into my print folder and final images. Other than that i enhanced the exposure, contrast and texture on my landscapes.

What could’ve gone better/ went wrong?

Firstly, not completing all three of my photoshoots was frustrating as i specifically wanted to do reservoirs to compare with Axel Braun’s images, if I had more time I would’ve been able to do this. I also hoped my images would come out in better focus and more detail, the reasoning they didn’t would be due the camera settings most likely which i couldn’t really work out what the problem was; it was also quite windy effecting the cameras accuracy and how still i was holding the camera. Overall, i need to improve on trying to get images which resemble my artist references style as much as possible to make it obvious what I’m attempting to recreate.

Overall evaluation on Anthropocene:

I enjoyed doing this project but wish I had more time to complete my photoshoots to my best ability, I am pleased with my final outcomes however I do think they are limited and that i could do much better and more on task outcomes.

To create this gallery I used: https://www.artsteps.com/

PHOTOSHOOT ONE:

PHOTOSHOOT TWO:

I have chosen two images from each two photoshoots I’ve done. Land erosion and Electric towers. In this blog post i will be focusing on relating my images back to Axel Braun and Anthropocene.

Land Erosion- Photoshoot 1

(Three final images)

ANALYSIS:

This image shows a clear representation of land erosion. You can see all the rocks from which they would’ve fallen from the cliff side, and how it has created a ‘ditch’. I like the contrast between plants, land and harsh rocks/ debris it makes the focus on the image stand out (the landslide). This relates to Anthropocene, as in a peaceful natural area by the cliff there has been damage to the area. In the picture you can see a man made digger which also gives the impression that humans also had a part in it. Axel Braun’s research deals with controversial infrastructure projects, tautology as an attempt to understand reality, and failed utopias in art and architecture. He mainly takes landscape pictures, I feel like this is something he would photograph however without it being in black and white. I had to have this image in black and white due to the blurriness, it slightly hides it and focuses less on the sharpness of the colour.

ANALYSIS:

This image shows a pond surrounded in greenery. I like how the sky reflects onto the water giving off a peaceful feeling and also how you can see at the bottom of the image leaves covering it slightly. Whilst editing this picture I made the exposure a bit lighter so the greenery surrounding the pond is visible, I couldn’t make it too light otherwise it wouldn’t have the same effect it gives off now with the darkness creating a peaceful scene. The bank around the pond is slowly falling into it, which is where you see land erosion in this image. Axel Braun has several images where he includes rivers/ ponds through natural areas such as fields, woods and anywhere without man made structures. I like how its not that obvious but is still present in the image and almost gives off a feeling that you dont know how deep or large the pond is and really how it formed; knowing once there was just grass and leaves there.

ANALYSIS:

This image doesn’t particularly show land erosion but I am using it as it relates back to Anthropocene and Axel Braun. Just off the side of a cliff path several man made structures are put into place, roads have been made which stand out as they are randomly placed on the cliff. I like the detail of the waves crashing against the rocks underneath and how secluded this buildings are. its a simple landscape yet still represents Anthropocene (Axel Braun’s technique).

Electric Towers- Photoshoot 2

(Two final images)

ANALYSIS:

This image was primarily inspired by Axel Braun’s images of electric towers, the composition in the image is the main aspect. All the bushes/ trees are at the same level and then the electric tower stands out with its height. However electric towers aren’t usually taken much notice of but when you analyse them they are such simple yet interesting structures in the most quietest peaceful areas. I darkened the bushes below the tower so that the tower itself was mainly focused on. I like the positioning of the clouds too because it really helps show how tall and significant the tower is. Once again linking to Anthropocene as it stands out amongst the nature which surround’s it.

ANALYSIS:

This is a weather radar tower, once again located in a very rural area.

UNEDITED:

EDITED:

UNEDITED:

EDITED:

UNEDITED:

Same image two different outcomes. One more linked with Axel Braun and one which was experimenting with the editing.

Unedited:

EDIT ONE OF IMAGE:

EDIT OF SECOND IMAGE:

Editing:

Unedited:

Edited:

(Lightroom)

This edit is more in a relation with Axel Braun’s photography. More simple, landscape no major editing.

UNEDITED IMAGE:

I used Lightroom to edit this image:

I started off with experimenting different ways I could edit my images, what’s intrigued me the most is highlighting specific areas on my images to enhance them. although, I have taken into consideration that Ansel Adams did not edit his pictures like this, I wanted to add more creativity and use of my time to make my images more interesting.

Electric tower- EDIT ONE

UNEDITED IMAGE:

• Firstly, I straightened the image in Lightroom and changed it to black and white.

• Secondly, i used photoshop to start editing my picture more carefully.

• Thirdly, I used the spot healing brush tool and eraser tool to blend the different poles of the electric tower I had layered on each other.

• Finalizing my image..

FINAL EDIT: