Edward Burtynsky is a Canadian photographer and artist, known well for his large format photographs of industrial landscapes. He has photographed from many locations around the world capturing industrial landscapes showing how this impacts nature and human existence. Beginning in the late 1970s, he started to capture natural landscapes from a formalist perspective showing unique compositions that were inspired by abstract expressionist paintings.

https://www.ideelart.com/magazine/edward-burtynsky

Burtynsky’s most famous photographs are landscape views, with some altered by the industry, for example mine tailings, quarries, or scrap piles. The ways he captures his photographs creates depth and unique structures, showing us from different unique points that give different perspectives.

Burtnysky’s work engages and brings you closer into the photo, as you are looking from unique perspectives from a far which gives you a more in depth and abstract view. The photo is quite unusual to the viewer at first, meaning we don’t see destruction and industrialisation from perspectives like this. This engages the viewer more because from wider and detailed angles, it allows them to see things differently so they can look at things differently during climate change. The photos communicate a strong message, linking to Anthropocene.

Instead of capturing modernist and interesting compositions, he began looking for subject matter which allowed him to make social, political, economical, and cultural statements with his work. He creates a series called Tilted Railcuts captured the physical trauma and destruction of land caused by contractions of rail roads. He then created a series called Homesteads, documenting precarious ways in which humans transform their natural surroundings when constructing neighbourhoods, towns

In response to Burtynsky’s work I want to capture from absract views showing the unique angles and formations that link to Anthropocene. I really like this style of photographs because they are a different styles to what we

I went on a photo walk around Harve de pas and La Collette. Afterwards I continued the walk and went around fort regent and pier road. I took these photos using a mix between a DSLR camera and my phone camera. In total taking 237 photos.

Edits

I edited this photo by cropping and rotating it, so it was more centred. I also increased the sharpening to make the image look more clear, and I made minor adjustments to the temp and contrast to improve the overall image.

I like this photo as I feel like it does a good job at depicting the industrial landscape due to the objects in the photo, like the metal fence and metal thing in the middle. Furthermore I am also pleased with the Lighting in the photo as there aren’t too many shadows and the lighting is consistent throughout the photo with no incredibly dark or light patches.

I also made an edited copy of the photo in Black & White in the editing style of John Schott’s topographic photos. I feel that the photo also looks good like this.

Photo edit #2

The photo above I took of the landscape of St.Helier and shows urbanisation. I like the way there is a church in the middle of the photo surrounded with buildings, it really captures the urban sprawl and is a good anchor point for the photo.

I edited the photo to improve the contrast and exposure, as the contrast wasn’t the best. I also cropped the image to make the church more centred and the image more level. After some small changes to the image levels and tones I felt it looked much better and less bland.

Photo edit #3

For my third edit I am going to experiment with creating a high dynamic range (HDR) photo. To start I got the three photos I took using exposure bracketing.

The Camera lens was a bit dirty when I took these photos so I removed any marks with the spot remover tool. I am really pleased with how the photo turned out and I believe it looks much better now the Photo is HDR. I also feel the photo represents industrial landscape really well as it contains the incineration plant and the chimney in it with them being the main focus of the image.

Photo edit #4

I decided to edit this photo to enhance the sky as I wanted to improve its exposure, I did this by using the graduated filter. I also Removed any marks caused by the camera and made minor adjustments to the whites and blacks.

Evaluation

Out of editing all my favourite/best outcomes from the New Topographics, this photo below is my favourite. As it really shows the industrialisation which is a common theme in the new topagraphics. I also feel that the photo has an interesting feel to it as there is a lot going on in the photo, architecture wise.

I struggled to choose between this edit or the one in black and white, but after careful consideration I felt that the colour looks more better in the photo compared to it being in black & White.

Analysing the photo I took

In the photo the technical elements are not really important, but the lighting is good and there are no badly lit areas making all the photo easier to see. The temperature is also on the warmer side which is helped by the way the sun was shining when I took the photo.

The colour in the photo is mainly beige and grey/silver which can be seen as being quite dull, reflecting on what people see industrial architecture as. The blue of the sky almost creates a contrast, brightening the photo up and making it look less dull, as I feel if the sky was overcast the photo would probably look quite depressing and gloomy.

The photo has a variety of lines with horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines, however there are no leading lines. The texture and pattern in the photo are quite evident as on the left the silver structure is kind of shiny helped by the vertical lines which wrap around it creating depth. on the right there are the bricks on the building which are repeated across the building, creating pattern. The structure on the left, the metal fence in the middle and the bricks on the building on the left help give the photo a rough texture which fits in well with the theme of industrial architecture.

Next Steps

Next I need to focus on presenting my photos which I could do as a collage and/or a virtual gallery.

What is AI?

Artificial intelligence is the science of making machines that can think like humans. It can do things that are considered “smart.” AI technology can process large amounts of data in ways, unlike humans. The goal for AI is to be able to do things such as recognize patterns, make decisions, and judge like humans

How does AI work to create images? 

Artificial neural networks mimic the brain’s process to recognize patterns. Convolutional neural networks specialize in the ability to identify objects and patterns in data. The neurons are a specialized form that works in a similar manner as the human eye.

Mood Board

For this New Topographic Photoshoot, I went around Havre Des Pas and I took photos of the environment around trying to capture images with buildings in it and i also focused on taking the photographs straight on so that it would link to The New Topographics.

Below are my best images from this New Topographics Photoshoot after having experimented in photoshop with the images.

These two images below are also very similar to eachother, these images would go very nicely displayed together because they were both taken front on, both are portrait and both are edited similarly. I really like how these two images turned out, the first image of the hotel was taken from a worms point of view. These images are also Juxtaposed, for example one is a old, dirty sculpture and the other is a modern, new and clean hotel.

Panoramas

During this photoshoot i also took 3 images of the Havre Des Pas outside swimming pool with the purpose of turning it into a panorama.

First i selected my 3 images by clicking on the first photo holding shift and then clicking the last image i wanted to use in this panorama.

Secondly i right clicked once i had selected my images, clicked photo merge which then gave me a drop down list of HDR, Panorama and HDR panorama. I selected panorama.

Final Image Without Editing

Final Image After Editing

Overall i think this panorama turned out really well however, i think the image would have been stronger if i used a tripod so i was in the same position for all 3 of the images. I did not have a tripod on me so i used my hands which caused the edges to be a bit rough and curvy.

There are many different definitions of ‘Deadpan photography’, however the most common one is that a deadpan photography lacks all emotion. Deadpan photography is simply just an emotionless subject within a photo. There is no joy or sorrow, although some view deadpan as an emotion itself. Famous photographers who use this aesthetic seem to be completely detached from the subject that they are photographing. Most commonly, the subject is in the centre of the image, and the photographer is looking at the subject from a straight-on perspective. Deadpan portraits show people in their natural state, typically not showing any sort of emotion. The deadpan photograph simply shows how life is in an honest state as models do not pose, and they are not dressed up for the occasion. The colour of deadpan photographs is commonly de-saturated.

Lewis Baltz

This movement signalled the new approach to landscape photography and demonstrated the influence of conceptualism and minimalism on photography in the 1970s. In this movement a group of photographers including Lewis Baltz documented built and natural landscapes in America and often captured the tension between the natural scenery and the mundane structures of post-war America. Baltz is best known for his monochrome photography of suburban landscapes and industrial parks which brought attention to his commentary of void within the ‘American Dream’. His work focused on searching for beauty within desolation and destruction. Baltz’s images describe the architecture of human landscapes such as offices, factories, and parking lots.

Analysis

In this photo there is an old car which is off-centre which creates an interesting composition which is also enhanced through the way the dark and white wall are contrasted also off centre. The high contrast makes the image appear sharp and the many harsh lines make it look sharp as well as they all tend to be against a lighter background. The image has no emotion as it is taken straight onwards and there is no colour within the photo creating a deadpan effect. The fact the car is old implies that the photo as well is old. I like Waltz’s photography as it all looks neat due to the high contrast of black and white, I also like how there are many harsh shapes and lines in his photographs.

Planning a response

To respond to Lewis Waltz I will take my photos outside of school in the Saint Ouens area. I will use my phone for these photos and I will focus on different buildings such as the splash. I will take these photos during the day to achieve natural lighting and clearer photos. I will then make my photos similar to Waltz’s photographs by editing them to black and white similar to his.

My photoshoot

I took around 70 photographs during my deadpan photography shoot in saint Ouens. I took photographs of the splash building, the white hut, the lifeguard hut and more. I also took a photo of the road straight onwards to explore leading lines in photography.

Best photos:

I have selected the following best photos and I will edit some of them in the style of Lewis Waltz by making them black and white and highly contrasted.

Editing:

Edit 1:

Before making the picture completely black and white I made a few changes to create a better coloured version.

Black and white edits:

I then removed all colour from the photo by decreased the saturation to -100, I kept all other edits the same. By doing this the clouds appear to be much darker and angry giving an effect of the sublime. The building looks emotionless and almost old due to the rust running down the front of it. Due to taking this photo from a straight-on view and the lack of emotion a deadpan effect is created. I like the way the tables are all upside down as it creates an unusual effect and a sense of unknown. I think this is a successful photo as it is similar to the photographers work due to the harsh contrast of light and dark and the angle at which the photo has been taken at.

Best edit:

In this photo there is a lifeguards shack and if is slightly off centred which makes the photo unique. This is my best photo as the clouds look best in this photo as well as the other components such as the architecture. The clouds in this photo almost look as if the weather is storming due to the extreme dark areas which contrast to the light areas making the sky look enraged.

Virtual Gallery:

https://www.artsteps.com/view/662f6e3232b58f6c73e585c7

I chose to place my larger photo in the centre as it fit nicely with the architecture of the gallery. I then placed the smaller ones on each side of it and took a photo at both viewpoints in order to capture the different perspectives. To improve this wall area I will add another photo to the wall on the right as there is quite a lot of empty space.

The images which are highlighted green are the images I have chosen to edit, because they portray the New Topographics the best as they display nature and urban areas, such as buildings. These images also have the best composition and focus. The images that are highlighted red are the images I have decided to use for my HDR, as I used exposure bracketing when taking them, so that they would have different exposure levels. The images highlighted pruple are the images I have decided to use for my panaramic image, because I took photos of the landscape, panning from one side to the other.

Edits

The next following images were taken at Harve De Pas:

I edited these images by increasing the contrast, shadows, whites, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the exposure, highlights and blacks. I did this, so the images would be brighter.

These images were taken by the pool at Harve de Pas and are images of the beach, with the houses and buildings in the distance. This relates to the new topographics, because it shows nature (the beach) coinciding with the buildings (man-made/ urban).

I edited these images by increasing the contrast, shadows, whites, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the exposure, blacks and highlights. I did this so both images would be brighter and stand out more.

All these images show how man-made buildings have to been placed in nature, which relates to the new topographics.

I edited these images by increasing the exposure (on the first two and decreasing it on the second two), contrast, shadows, whites, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the highlights and blacks, so that the image would be brighter and so the colours would stand out more.

This image shows how buildings and urban areas surround and coincide with nature areas, such as this beach. This relates to the New Topographics.

I edited these images by increasing the contrast, shadows, whites, vibrancy, saturation, while decreasing the highlights and blacks, so that the colours would be much brighter and stand out more on the building.

These images show the natural environment (the beach) coinciding with the urban man-made environment (the building) which relates to the new topographics.

I edited this image by increasing the contrast, shadows, whites, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the exposure, highlights and blacks, so that the image had better lighting and wasn’t as bright, so that it would be more visible.

This image shows how man-made urban structures like the buildings in the distance coincide with the nature, the trees and beach. This relates the the New Topographics.

Final Edited Harve De Pas Images:

Edits

These images were taken on the field at Highlands:

I edited these images by increasing the contrast, shadows, whites, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the highlights, exposure and blacks. I did this, so the image and colours were brighter, so they would stand out more.

This Image shows how urban man-made buildings can coincide with nature and natural environments, which the trees and surrounding grass show.

I edited these images by decreasing the exposure, highlights, blacks, while increasing the contrast, whites, shadows, vibrancy and saturation. I did this, so the colours and image would be brighter and stand out more.

These images show how buildings, such as the hut exist in natural environments, such as this grass field.

Final Field Images:

Edits

These images were taken near and at La collette

I edited both these images by increasing the contrast, shadows, whites and vibrancy, while decreasing the exposure, highlights and blacks. On the first photo I also decreased the saturation, but increased it on the second photo. I did this, so the photos would be brighter and more eye capturing. I especially did this on the first photo, so that the clouds were white, instead of a light grey colour and so the blue in the sky could be seen.

Both these images show man made buildings, such as the large building in the first image and the fence in the second. These images also show a natural environment as well, such as the grass hill and path. These images support the new topographics, because they show harmony between the man-made and natural landscapes and how they can coincide together.

I edited this image by increasing the contrast, shadows, whites and vibrancy while decreasing the exposure, highlights, blacks and saturation, so the tower would be more bold and stand out more against the sky, which was also made more blue.

Then, I made a black and white version of this photo, by creating a virtual copy of the final edited picture and selecting black and white. I did this to increase the contrast between the tower and the sky and to make the photo more eye capturing.

This image relates to the theme of New Topographics, because this image presents how man-made urban landscapes can be beautiful and photographed in the same way that natural landscapes are.

I edited this image by increasing the contrast, shadows, whites, saturation and vibrancy while decreasing the exposure, highlights and blacks. I did this, so the building would be bolder and stand out more as it is more vibrant and has more contrast.

Then, I created a black and white version of the final edited image, by creating a virtual copy of the edited image and selecting it to be black and white.

This image relates to the theme of New Topographics, because this image presents how man-made urban landscapes can be beautiful and photographed in the same way that natural landscapes are.

I edited this image by increasing the contrast, shadows, whites, saturation and vibrancy while decreasing the exposure, highlights and blacks. I did this, so the graffiti and grey box building would have more contrast.

Then, I created a black and white version of the final edited image, by creating a virtual copy of the edited image and selecting it to be black and white.

This image relates to the theme of New Topographics, because this image presents how man-made urban landscapes can be beautiful and photographed in the same way that natural landscapes are.

I edited these images by increasing the contrast, shadows, whites and vibrancy while decreasing the exposure, highlights, blacks and saturation. I did this, so the sky would have less exposure and therefore look more blue. I also did this, so the mountain and buildings would have more contrast and be more defined as they have less exposure, so that they capture the viewers eye more.

Both these images show man made buildings, such as the large building in the first image and the fence in the second. These images also show a natural environment as well, such as the grass hill and path. These images support the new topographics, because they show harmony between the man-made and natural landscapes and how they can coincide together.

Final Images

Panoramic

These are the images I have taken to create my panoramic photo. I have chosen to use these images, as they pan over the whole landscape, so are perfect for a panoramic image.

Final Panoramic Image

How I did it

First, I selected my pictures chosen for my panorama on Lightroom and selected photo merge and then panorama. Once my image was made, I then cut the jagged edges of.

HDR

These are the images I have chosen to create my HDR images, because I have taken three different images of the same landscape, but with three different exposures. One with regular exposure and one too high and one too low.

Final HDR Images

My first HDR image consists of the Lido building at Harve de Pas.

My second HDR image consists of the tower and building in the distance across the beach, near La Collette.

How I did it

First, I selected my three images, then selected photo merge, then HDR. Then, I chose whether I wanted high medium or low exposure. I chose high for both.

I created this mind map on PowerPoint to help guide me through the Anthropocene project, identifying key factors that play a role in how the Earth has evolved since humans began to damage the environment. By highlighting these areas, I am now able to set a focus for my photoshoots which will allow me to portray my own thoughts and ideas into my work, with a sense of creativity and originality.