Artist Case Study

Todd Hido

Todd Hido creates photographs at blue hour of urban locations to create an eerie atmosphere. These photographs could be described as uncanny in their approach to an urban landscape. ‘Liminal spaces’ are transition zones or the space ‘in-between’ of two points associated with uncertainty and discomfort. The phrase liminal space refers to the physical, physiological, and psychological transition zones which has become associated with uncomfortably empty photographs of urban locations. Todd Hido’s photographs embodies these feelings of the space between and the loneliness that comes with it.

Todd Hido creates photographs that are “eerie, mysterious, somewhat disconcerting”¹ as “they feel as though they have been directly pulled from the recesses of your own memory²“. He takes these images during “long, solitary drives”³. This uncomfortable atmosphere is created in a number of ways such as the lighting and isolating subjects. In terms of lighting, this photograph was taken outside in the winter during blue hour to create a natural appearance with a blue hue making it seem cold and distant, conveying “loneliness”⁴ and “isolation”⁵. This is contrasted with the light emitting from inside the building which is diffused by fog making the light soft and warm in contrast. This makes it seem like the viewer is missing out or left alone outside creating the feeling of “abandonment”⁶. The use of fog also gives this image a greater sense of depth. The house at the front is in focus while everything further back is much more difficult to make out or see. This draws the attention to the centre of the frame as anything behind is difficult to see. There isn’t much contrast across the image. The whites are blue and the darks are quite light. The brightest part is the windows which make the viewer peer into it like they’re observing strangers from a distance from behind a surface again linking to ideas of isolation. The lack of people in the frame helps to create the sense of a liminal space but also makes the building “an empty shell”⁷. As the house is a shell it means that the viewer can relate by applying their “own memories⁸” and “create a narrative⁹“. Alternatively the use of an upkept house shows evidence of people being there recently and lights on implies people present at the time but being unable to spot the people creates this isolated and uneasy atmosphere, he created “despair”¹⁰ in an “otherwise ordinary scene¹¹“.

Hiroshi Sugimoto

I compiled a few of Hiroshi Sugimoto’s photographs that I thought used similar imagery to the types of outcome I wanted to achieve. These photographs are from 2 different projects, one where candles were captured directly to create strips of white among a black background while the other used natural occurring light he found within architecture and then blurred them.

Hiroshi Sugimoto “dissolves the lines between time, memory, and history¹²” in his photographs. The way this is achieved is by blurring the image. The large cross is bright white compared to the rest of the image which draws attention instantly and sets the theme of religion. Religion has heavy ties to it’s “history”¹³ which is a common “recurring¹⁴” theme in Hiroshi Sugimoto’s work. It is also centralised and all the lines of the image lead to its centre, leading the eye and the focus. Comparatively, the rest of the image is empty and basic as it is an empty, white, minimalist room. The floor is split into isles which is illuminated by the light and makes the path look walkable and inviting setting the religious themes and “isolating the recognizable forms¹⁵“. The image was purposefully made blurred as the artists wanted the architectural feats to shine past small details as a reflection of modernisation of architecture stripping away details from previous ages of architecture. An old cathedral would have a typical gothic appearance with stain glass windows for example and grand interiors. This modern church room however is bare and basic, a trend across all sections of modern architecture with the rise of minimalism. Additionally this image is black and white, again “stripping away”¹⁶ another layer of “superfluous decoration”¹⁷. By using a minimalist location all the attention can be focused on the light and dark without any distractions. The emptiness also feels unwelcoming and cool which contrasts with the imagery of the cross and its welcoming light.

Raymond Meeks

Raymond Meeks is an American photographer who creates narratives through his books. These photographs show a few people in the woods as they traverse the wilderness. I like how their identities are obscured and the photographs are overall dark and atmospheric. He uses light and dark to create this moody atmosphere which also can show the danger associated with the woods.

Raymond Meeks takes photographs that are “considerations of sensitive observations¹⁸“.These photographs were taken when observing the youth cliff jumping after school. It was put together after a couple of years of observations. This photograph is in black and white and was taken with film meaning each photograph would have had more thought required. The brightest point is obscured by trees and the only white in the image. This is to show where the people are going to make it bright and aspirational, symbolising their futures as young people growing up. This was made with natural lighting where the large rock is dark in the shadow. There is a difference in texture also as the trees are really smooth compared to the rough rock surface. The people create a line leading away from the bright line into the darker rocks showing the path they’re taking which links to underlying themes of religion. Raymond Meeks “was raised Catholic¹⁹” and compares the ritual of cliff jumping in the woods to “altars²⁰“. Religion carries many connections such as community as well as fears due to its links with death and consequence. While this image is not of the symbolic jump it is of the lead up following a small community of people on their path to the altars. “He has chosen not to photograph the faces²¹” which serves two purposes. The first is to make them seem like faceless followers of the culture while the second is so that the focus is purely focused on their actions as their identity is striped away. The image looks candid and totally unmanipulated however the subjects were aware of his presence. By avoiding the faces he is photographing “traces and residue²²” of subjects instead of the “thing itself”²³. This leads to dreamlike, “whimsy”²⁴ images contrasted with how its leading into “the unknown” ²⁵which creates a haunting sense of tension. One theme present among many of Raymond Meeks projects is “the construct of home”²⁶ and the essence of a landscape. Feelings of home are “centred on memory”²⁷ which makes it personal and therefore creates an emotional connection between the image and the viewer. This image has homely features not defined by its walls but the sense of familial connections between people and familiar backdrop of a generic forest. “the way in which a landscape can shape an individual²⁸” is present in the literal shape these people have had to take to overcome the hill but also how the youth culture of the area has influenced this culture of cliff jumping through the woods.

Rut Blees Luxemburg

Rut Blees Luxemburg photographs London’s streets. Her photographs create an ominous atmosphere which frame the city in an unsettling and mysterious way. Her photographs are abstractions utilising reflections and embody the feeling of liminal spaces.

Rut Blees Luxemburg takes photos around London where she lives. She takes the mundane and turns it into “her city²⁹” by photographing only the calm and still present at night which is a totally unique character to the city during the rush of the day. She also chooses what to avoid and what to include for example “You don’t see the surveillance cameras³⁰” as it doesn’t fit the narrative. Since she lives there her interest would lie less in the bigger picture of cityscapes and instead in the smaller, abstract parts. This photograph uses the natural light of a low sun which casts a yellow hue likely taken at golden hour. This light is used to set up dramatic shadows to emphasise the depth of the stairs and presence of footprints. The yellow makes the image warm and creates a uniform style across every image in the theme. The foreground is made up of shallow stairs which lead down towards the footprints and sea. Its out of focus making use of a shorter depth of field. It has a dark tone which has high contrast and creates an overall grungy aesthetic. There is slight tension and a part of a mystery set up with the question: Who left the footprints and what happened to them. The footprints are left on a wet platform at the bottom of the stairs which lead towards the body of water. When asked “Although taken in public spaces, your work rarely shows their inhabitants. Does the presence of people deter from the poetics of the space?³¹” Rut Blees Luxemburg simply responded “yes.³²” This idea that she doesn’t take photographs of “individual stories³³” rather she lets her photographs “becomes a template³⁴” for “the imagination³⁵” and act like a “portal³⁶” into a “reflective space³⁷” creating a void of human presence that is “uncanny³⁸” while also being relaxingly “mundane³⁹“.

Jose Conceptes

Jose Conceptes is a Spanish photographer who creates scenic images through the use of light and shadows. The large majority of his work is made up of architectural imagery however a few experimental projects were made which showcase horror and fears which I would like to experiment with.

Cindy Sherman

Cindy Sherman takes photographs exploring the portrayal of women in film and media. This was expressed in her project ‘Untitled Film Stills.’ These always show at least part of Cindy Sherman as she’s commenting on the objectification of women. Often the background is equally as important for example the washing up sink or a bookshelf. I believe her work challenged stereotypes from films in a creative and unique way. She observed films and their characters and setup her images as an observation of herself as a character.

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2025 Photography A Level Blog