Relationship shot – Shows the connection between themes, objects of people.
Work shot – These show a person at work or in their ‘element’.
Establishing shot – Establishing shots are typically wide shots to show context. This might be through landmarks or signs.
Detail shots – Closer to focus on a specific detail or element.
Using Indesign for a Pagespread: Design & Layout
For setting up an A3 page I used these settings:
This created a layout of 3 pages laid out with 4 columns in purple. The red outline was created with the ‘bleed’ option so that when printing images can fill the whole page without white edges.
To add an image the rectangle frame tool is useful for creating a specific size on the page.
For my first page spread I tried to create a picture story about people playing football. I chose for the establishing shot to give some context and was the only image that showed more then just feet. I set this one in large on the left. I also decided to split one image into to squares as it was originally a landscape action shot. For the additional images I wasn’t sure how to arrange them or which ones to select so I created a few drafts
Of a total 406 images, I narrowed these down easily to 34 as many were purely of the ground. All are at an angle and out of focus which otherwise wouldn’t look great however as a collection I think can work together.
These images work best in sequences to tell a story as they aren’t technically great since they have lots of motion blur or are just generally out of focus for example:
Sequence
The decisive moment
I narrowed down 438 images to 46. These 46 could be summed up into 4 main groups: colour, black and white, motion blur and the church.
I think that these three together create a nice sequence however I shouldn’t of zoomed in on the final one so that all three would be the same. I spotted the lady because of her red coat and trousers which stood out against the grey stone.
I tried adjusting the shutter speed to capture a moving object. I tried moving the camera with the car however most attempts were completely blurred. This was the only one where the vehicle was still in focus.
I accidently took these photographs when I adjusted the shutter speed in a dark church. The streaks were the chandeliers which naturally stood out against the dark background. The first was an accident when I moved the camera after taking the photo however the shutter speed was much lower than I thought. Once I saw the outcome I tried making additional shapes and I think the spiral one worked out also.
I think I had the most success when photographing people around the town. I think that the set ups had varying success and I liked the ones taken further away most. I set all of them in black and white which was the same as Henri-Cartier Bresson which meant that colours wouldn’t be distracting and the focus would be purely on the subjects. Additionally I think that the quieter backgrounds looked better.
I tried the photographs in colour with some colour adjustments and while the colours looked alright I didn’t like them as much. I found that the colour sometimes takes attention away from the people and while in some cases I want the photograph to be about the colour, the majority had nothing to do with colours at all so I made them greyscale.
I decided that for the triangle crop I wanted to to use an image where there would be a triangle type of shape already. I first tried with this lady sitting at a bench when I was figuring out how to make a triangle. Since she was in the bottom corner of the frame I chose a right angle triangle. It looked like the triangle was too long however since there wasn’t anything happening to either side of the woman so I adjusted the image so that it matched her position instead so that the bench filled the bottom and the lady filled the corner. This worked out better and is how I went about cropping other images.
I tried another type of triangle which I didn’t like as much and decided to create shapes by combining 4 different crops.
I think that arranging these into shapes can create interesting arrangements which I like the look of. I plan to create a large topology of triangles with different colours and subjects for the final presentation of this project. I will print the triangles onto A5 and experiment with levels like this:
I would like to use more images and create a larger piece however this is how I plan the final outcome to be produced. Some triangles will be mounted, some will be on the board and some will be below still. I might try some blank triangles also in some of the gaps too. I think that maybe I could create a gradient where one side is higher up and by the other end of the image all the triangles are lower down or it will just be a random arrangement.
The Decisive Moment is the moment where the composition (shapes and lighting) meet with movement and people. Henri Cartier-Bresson published a photobook in 1952. This book was a collection of his work showing random, spontaneous moments which he called ‘the decisive moment’. These images were constructed by first setting up the frames and then wait for the perfect moment to capture.
Henri Cartier-Bresson views the activity of photography as an ‘extension of the eye’. He would carry his camera to capture uniquely mundane moments as he saw them in the moment. This spontaneity allowed him to capture a period in a sort of time capsule. He would try and take photographs without being noticed to capture a ‘true’ moment. When someone is aware of a camera they act out or at least different which can lead to a ‘fake’ moment. Alternately he would frame up an image and wait for something interesting to happen within the frame.
He was a French artist and photographer well known as a pioneer of street photography. He started with a simple Brownie he’d received as a gift and quickly found his passion for the art. After a year he purchased his first camera which was a simple film camera of the time.
This image shows a man and a cat sat in a rat run. It is black and white with high contrast between the darkest and lightest parts. I believe it is portrait for 2 reasons: the first to show how small the man is. The height makes the walls look much taller and tower over the small hunched man. This could be to show how low and small he feels. The second reason is that it is still sort of a portrait of a man and would make sense to be shot in portrait. I think this image projects a sense of sadness onto the man which otherwise wouldn’t be present. Additionally the frame is completely excluded otherwise to show a sense of loneliness which makes the cat such an important part of the image.
In this image the decisive moment is the reaction between the cat and the man. The man is sat and seemingly observing the cat who is observing the man back. This is the decisive moment because not only would the cat be unexpected but it adds an additional layer to the private moment the man seems to be having. Had these two not been in the frame, the image would simply be a bland alley as its the two figures that add meaning and emotion to the image.
The image is framed with the large building walls. These are dark and draw the eye into the centre both through the lines and light. The brightest part is what draws the eye which is in the centre. This is broken up however by the small cat and the man.
For my final Images I wanted at least one image from each section. I decided on one Anthropocene, 4 industrial and 5 natural landscapes. I experimented with a virtual gallery on arrangements and sizes etc. I was going to create one triptych in A5, one diptych in A4 and 5 single images presented in both A4 and A3. I didn’t like all the industrial ones together and the Anthropocene image I pictured in A3 however there was too much plain black so I decided to try and fit it in a circular shape instead. I like the idea however I should have created it with the shape in mind initially so the ring would fit the frame better. I ended up printing it as a square since I didn’t arrange it properly to fit in a ting.
After deciding on the sizes of each Image the arrangement was much easier. Aside from the triptych and diptych on the left wall all the others are going to be framed on their own.
Final Images
I arranged my final images into groups:
1- New Topographics
2 – Landscapes
3 – Anthropocene
Evaluation
I think that I understood new Topographics the best and created images based on my interpretation of these ideas. This was the most successful outcome in my opinion as each final outcome showed a different aspect of new Topographics such as deadpan, industrial structures and the changing urban landscape. I think that while I explored some ideas I could have created more inspired or creative outcomes.
For Anthropocene I think that the stationary donut turned out better than I thought. Looking back I wish I created it in a circle frame or used some additional pieces. Stationary is a wasteful industry from the large packaging to the harmful plastics used in disposable items which I believe has the same themes as Mandy Barkers photographs without going out and finding these items washed up on the beach which is originally why the images are supposed to appear like underwater currents however I instead just used waste before it was thrown away. Each piece of stationary I photographed was single use and would have ended in some sort of waste outlet regardless.
As a response to romanticism I wanted to photograph the damage caused by storm Kieran. I focused on fallen trees as they have heavily impacted the landscape but didn’t take photographs of the new bare landscapes. I don’t think these photographs turned out very well as I didn’t have much direction when going out to take the photographs. This came across clearly in the final outcomes. I also photographed some landscapes without the theme of the storm and I think these turned out better since I wasn’t focusing on a specific theme. I used these photographs mostly when experimenting with AI because the large spaces allowed for generative fill and remove also. Although I didn’t originally have much direction and was simple practicing the tools, these also turned out better then the storm. I chose not to print these ones out as final images because they weren’t saying enough to be framed and presented.
Artificial Intelligence or ‘AI’ is a technology which enables computers to learn and create. It has been designed to simulate a humans intelligence process which in recent years has been implemented into all sorts of areas such as the arts. AI generates images by scanning millions of pre-existing ones on the internet along with the texts associated with them and uses algorithms to to spot trends. This means that AI does not create new pieces, instead it stitches together pre-existing images into a what the machine guesses is ‘correct’. OpenAI’s ChatGPT was the turning point in modern AI for its accessibility and ease of application. ChatGPT can be used by everyday users by inputting prompts or by experienced software collaborators by implementing the software into gadgets and websites(Chat GPT was created with a foundation model meaning it can easily be exported and are highly adaptable). This variety has caused a widespread pickup of the tool.
Ethics & AI
Ethics are the examination of moral questions and judgements. AI has been the centre of discussion in terms of ethical dilemma ever since 1942 and literature has dramatized the topic through films such as the matrix and terminator. While all the older literature such terminator created ‘doomsday’ tales centring arround themes such as the singularity, Modern dilemmas instead revolve around data responsibility, privacy, transparency, accountability and technology misuse.
Businesses have been exploring the use of AI since the creation of the big data set. Companies created their own systems and implemented them in all areas without issue. Once they tried expanding however there were all sorts of unexpected outcomes. These faulty/biased outcomes have lead to new guidelines and ethical dilemmas. AI has been rapidly outpacing government regulations with recent developments which has caused worry, largely surrounding copyright infringement and artistic creativeity.
Tanja Deman
Tanja Deman uses collages of photographs and films to raise awareness of natural environment, ecology and climate crisis. She creates surreal pieces in two categories: showing urban cityscapes in dead, baron wastelands, and theatres of people judging and observing the natural world.
Tanja Deman creates black and white images for a dramatic, serious tone and also in ways to show the bleak future that we are headed towards. Stadium lighting beams down on the hill which guides the eye. The surrounding stadium is dark with high contrast to focus attention in one space. The angle is looking downwards from a high seat in the stadium so that the photograph is framed through the eyes of an audience member. This photograph combines two images; The first is a large stadium with a small number of people sitting in the foreground, the second is of a rural mountain scape. These have been combined mostly around the base of the viewing square. The environment has been captured and presented as a spectacle to these people. I think this is a commentary on how the work of themes such as Anthropocene is being viewed in a meta way to criticise the lack of urgency and appreciation of the viewer but also on how society treats the natural world.
The light drawing attention to the hill makes the viewer look at the hill same as the people in the stadium seats. The people are few in number in front of the camera. The lack of people shows a lack of interest from the general public. This is reminiscent of the reception environmentalists receive for their art – not taken overly seriously.
In Photoshop
Filters and Pre-sets
Ai can be used to change the mood of an image by adjusting filters. It will create a mask on top of the image to prevent changing or ‘damaging’ the original image. This mask sits on top of the entire layer stack. The ai has pre-sets with options and sliders to further adjust the image.
I tried two pre-sets. One used vibrant, unnatural colours and the other created a cooler tone.
Option 2
The second was under the filter option. The neural filters used more drastic ai.
It creates a drop down of ‘pre-sets’ which drastically adjust the image to create a totally different image. This option will add snow to hills and make them look like mountains for example.
I chose this option because it made the sea look tropical by using vibrant colours and adjusting the water texture. The ai also added and adjusted the clouds in the sky to make the sky look more similar to that in the summer.
Generative fill
To use generative fill, you use a selection tool and select the desired area. ( This only decides where as the ai will take the whole images’ context into account for direction etc.) A box will require a prompt which the ai uses to produce 3 different outcomes.
After experimenting with composition, I decided to generate something on the right side of the image. To contrast with the industrial ship, I wanted something organic. I decided to add two dolphins playing with a ball. The ball isn’t a natural occurrence which shows how the animals have had to learn to live with our waste. Additionally they are unaware of the boat and its lost crates which are slowly drifting over. The pink emitting from the boat is a clearly toxic gas which is being pumped out.
I tried both a faint, sunny day and a dull, stormy filter. Although it would make more sense for the stormy one since it reflects the trouble brought with human interference, I think the light one creates more of a contrast. The vibrant colours are more artificial which in my opinion reflects how manufactured the environment is becoming.
Spot Remove
The spot healing tool drop down has an option named remove tool. You outline the unwanted option and the software will remove and fill based on the surroundings.
I wanted to remove these sample boards so the walls would be completely plain for a virtual gallery.
“Never before have we been so closely connected to global climate events,” while, ironically, simultaneously, having “never been so detached from the natural world.” – Mishka Henner
Anthropocene derives from ‘anthropo’ meaning human and ‘cene’ meaning a significant period of time and so means humans effects on the world arround us.
Artists
Keith Arnatt
Pictures from a rubbish tip, 1988-89
This project showcases old food waste in a way reminiscent of a painting with vibrant colours and dramatic set ups. The use of plastic bags to distort the backgrounds help to create a surreal, stylised appearance which disguises the fact these photographs have been taken at a rubbish tip.
Keith Arnatt produced 5 images in this project. Each one used natural light to take these photographs while out at the tip. The layers of plastic diffuses the light and colours which emphasise the food positioned as the subject. Small items like egg shells are not usually placed in a tip which is usually used for large waste items like ovens and sofas. Tips calculate price by weight and though small things like wrappers don’t contribute to weight, they do show a level of laziness and disinterest in the environment. Instead of throwing this rubbish in the bin or composting the egg shells for example, someone chucked it in a large pile instead. Had there been any consideration for the environment, rubbish would have been properly disposed of.
Naomi White
Naomi White explores contemporary issues and political ideas through her photography. How we can shift away from the exploitative model of capitalism into a collective voice of the whole planet? This is a message which aligns with that of the Anthropocene exhibition and I believe is best shown through these photographs where Naomi White uses a studio set up to light up and arrange single-use plastic bags to create a unique set of images.
This photograph shows a plastic bag. It was lit from below with a light box to cast unique shadows and to diffuse the light and creates a unique glow which stands out against the white background. 2 Colours are used which would have added either in the studio with colour gels or in post-production using editing techniques. Green is a natural colour and typically represents the natural world and the environment as recycling is also associated with the colour green. Red is the second colour used which contrasts with green. Red has connotations of destruction and heat which could mean it is being used to signify global warming and the destruction of the environment. The use of a plastic bag is significant because it is a single use, thin plastic which will be used once and thrown away. This photograph makes use of this otherwise overlooked plastic and turns the rubbish into a beautiful work of art. By creating an art piece, it changes the way people view and interact with their bags. With so much detail I believe this photograph would have been taken with the macro settings or lens at a close distance. Artificial light appears to be coming through the bag which highlights certain creases and details and creates contrast. The centre of the frame has a clear strip where the bags meet which divides the two. The colours are vibrant and highly saturated to an artificial level reflecting the synthetic materials beings used for the bag. The bag was framed purposefully to only takes up one half of the frame with the other half being a plain bright white.
I believe this photograph would have been taken for several reasons: to showcase the overlooked and underappreciated plastic bags, to raise awareness of an over-reliance on plastic, and to highlight consumerism.
A plastic bag on average is only used for 12 minutes before it is thrown away. The plastic used however takes 1000+ years to decompose in landfill. The abundance of bags causing landfill is seriously damaging to the environment and wildlife. If those bags were slightly more appreciated and used until they broke (like initially intended), waste would decrease in massive numbers as proven with recent regulations. Single-use plastic bags are not sold in shops anymore, instead thicker ‘bags for life’ are the only possible purchase option. These will last longer and could carry heavier shopping hopefully causing shoppers to get more use out of them. Additionally they are only available at a 70p charge. By giving the bags a monetary value it causes people to give them a higher value and therefore be less likely to throw them away. This was a successful move as since the UK laws were pushed, shoppers buying bags has fallen by 98% (measured in 2023). I believe this was the intended purpose behind this image. By photographing the bags and giving them importance, it would in theory cause people to value and utilise bags more before throwing them away.
Before plastic bags, paper bags would have been used for fruits and straw baskets were bought by shoppers when purchasing foods. Plastic only became common place in the 1980s-before their damage was as well known. Since then, the plastic bag has become a staple of shopping. Bags are only one of many products that have become essential and so I believe that these photographs were taken to raise awareness of our over-reliance on plastic. Plastic is used for its durable properties, cheap manufacturing prices and ease of use. This means that it is used in anything from clothing to kitchen appliances. It would be near impossible to completely abandon plastics and move to a ‘sustainable’ alternative due to its widespread use as any material used at such a large scale is not sustainable. This was proven when plastic was first introduced as an alternative to wood and paper due to the sheer number of trees being chopped down. These high requirements have been regularly increasing due to a surge in population and rampant consumerism. This over-reliance and exploitation is an additional reason that I believe Naomi White decided to photograph this plastic bag.
Consumerism in recent years has proven an issue. Low prices are sought after but are only achieved by cutting corners by using factories, sweatshops and cheaper materials. The dip in quality means that the items will not last as long and are therefore thrown away sooner and need replacing. All this rubbish is non-recyclable because cheaper materials are too low quality to repurpose. Additionally people want more which creates a vicious cycle which is best represented by the fashion and textiles industry. 60% off all produced textiles are made with synthetics such as polyester, the same plastic used to produce water bottles. Polyester is significantly cheaper to produce and extremely difficult to recycle. Unlike its organic alternatives (such as cotton), polyester is made of short fibers which easily fall apart, melt in washes and always sits ‘boxy’ whereas cotton is made of long, hollow fibers which allow water to pass through easily and forms a light fabric. These resistant fibers create long lasting garments which can even be recycled. Even still wardrobes have become filled with these synthetic impostors purely due to their availability. These polyester pieces are bought at low prices, worn for a fraction of a year and thrown away for a range of reasons almost always ending in a landfill. Even if they are worn and used for longer before being thrown away microplastics contaminate the water supplies when washed. Although this does not directly affect people it does impact aquatic life. Modern day consumerism is best summed up as: Fast-Fashion brands create garments that are created to look good on a hanger until they get washed and they begin to pull and require replacing. Plastic bags are symbolic of shopping also which I believe makes consumerism an issue Naomi White is warning against.
Mandy Barker
Photoshoots
Photo Shoot Action Plan 1
Who – This photoshoot will be inspired by Keith Arnatt. I am going to photograph rubbish and arrangements of objects to showcase the mass of varied waste and the damage caused.
What – I would like to visually comment on plastic, mass wastage, non-recycling, disposable society and consumerism. These will be still life images focusing on the items.
Where – Keith Arnatt photographed a rubbish tip in natural light which so I will visit several places in natural light where an abundance of rubbish accumulates such as the recycling centre. Will visit: La Collette recycling centre and acorn.
Why – To showcase mixed waste and what’s being done with it. Recycling takes rubbish and turns it into something else, charity shops repurpose old items. I would like to contrast these positive parts with negative ones such as overflowing bins and litter which didn’t even reach a bin.
How – I will photograph in set out arrangements and also heaps. I would like to experiment with textures also such as clear plastics, damaged textiles and rotting foods. I will also experiment with lighting and background as these will be studio images taken with artificial lighting.
Photoshoot 1
To try and photograph a gradient behind a plastic bag I used my phone to display some colours and I arranged a plastic bag over the top. They didn’t turn out how I’d hoped and next time I would try using a larger bag from further away. I also arranged some plastics into an arrangement with both small and large pieces. I used the sun for light which was bright and caused lots of reflections on the plastic which I should’ve expected and waited until later in the day.
Photoshoot 2
I decided on these 5 images to start building up a ring. I was going to put the string in the middle however I didn’t like how it looked surrounded by the pens.
I started adding pieces in two sections: The larger front ones and the small back ring to create depth. I started by adding lots of small items in the background focusing on the ring and moving a few outwards. I then began to add to the front but didn’t overlap any since I was trying to fill space. This looked strange so I added some on top of each other and changed the opacity and added light shading.
I only used these three objects since their colours were similar and so was their shapes. I wanted to use similar objects in the image like Mandy Barker did so that there would be a more cohesive overall appearance. I noticed that when shrinking the images the whites stood out much more than anything else which didn’t achieve the effect I was after. I made all the smaller objects darker by reducing the opacity and creating layers of colour block to place over the top. I think there is still too much dark and next time I would widen the rings also. If I was going to make another I wouldn’t create a ring and instead would create a gradient with more objects without being focused on colours. All the objects will be the exact same type such as a football but in varying states of decomposition.
New Topographics was a response to increasingly suburban surroundings and idealised landscape photography showcasing and elevating the natural world. It showcases the effect of man on the surrounding world and a sense of beauty in its dull change. These are documentary photographs typically contrasting square manmade buildings with soft mountains capes and open land. New Topographics saw the work of Ansel Adams and found the ideas of environmental protection and preservation inspiring however the approach disingenuous. He showed the beauty of the natural landscape without the effects of man by carefully framing whereas new Topographics would move the camera slightly to show a trailer park. They aimed to preserve the environment by showing the effects of man on the environment. Humans want for constant expansion and the need for more housing post war meant that more and more space was being cut up and built on. Influential artists included:
Nicholas Nixon
Henry Wessel Jr
Bernd and Hilla Becher
Robert Adams
Robert Adams photographs could be split in two. On one half there would be a traditional landscape slightly too far away and the second half would contrast with a road or building with harsh lines and dull appearances. He rose to prominence through his project ‘The New West’ and participation in the exhibition ‘The New Topographics: Photographs of Man Altered Landscapes’ in 1975.
Case Study – Henry Wessel
Henry Wessel was an American photographer and one of ten collaborators in the exhibition ‘New Topographics: Photographs of a Man Altered Landscape’. His work consists of isolated observations of the typical environment surrounding him such as roads and pavements.
This photograph focuses on a house surrounded by a growing plant such as maze or grass. This plant towers over the house like nature taking back the space. The house is a small one-story bungalow which is associated with the elderly which plants the idea that the plants haven been trimmed due to a lack of ability or that the house has been abandoned. This photograph is also in black and white made up of mid tone greys and whites. This light colour pallet creates a softer atmosphere and radiates a bright, sunny day. The only dark parts are inside the house to create depth. This also makes the outside seem more friendly than the inside of a building commenting on the isolation and coldness of modern buildings/communities. Additionally there is no sign of life inside such as a light to show that the building is still in use furthering the idea that it has been abandoned and unappreciated. This photograph sits eye to eye with the building which would require the photographer to be stood far away. This causes the road to take up the bottom of the frame. This shows how plant life has to push through human created surfaces such as pavements and roads. The plant life has been surrounded by stones and tarmac without a second thought.
Henry Wessel Jr took this photograph in landscape to reflect the reach of the house as its short but wide. If this was taken in portrait it would make the building seem even smaller and showcase more of the sky which isn’t the focus of this image. The plant life is cut off by the frame which shows how much space it has taken unlike the house which is rigid in shape and doesn’t fill the whole frame. The house is visible through the plants which shows it only thin coverage as surrounding the plants is harsh materials which is difficult to grow through. The contrast between the bottom half of the image and the top half shows a balance. The top half shows the natural sky and the plants while the bottom half shows the building and the road however they met and merge in the middle.
I believe this photograph is to show consumerism and a lack of care for the environment. This is shown through the abandoned building and overgrowing plants. The house with harsh lines and unnatural shapes stands apart from the grass like plant. Houses are built using precious resources, take up beautiful land and only get a lifespans time of use for one single person. The environment and its resources are not one persons financial gain, the land would have probably been used by wildlife and plant life and since the plants have been left long enough to grow over 4 meters minimum (which depending on the plant could take anything from 1 year upwards.) they have begun to slowly take back their land.
Bernd and Hilla Becher – Typology
This German couple were the only Europeans in the exhibition new Topographics. They were inspired by another German photographer who experimented with typology. Typology is the study of types. The inspiration showed dried plants in a triptych.
The couple photographed disappearing industrial architecture around Europe and north America such as water tanks. They never included people in their images as the focus was solely on the architectural feats. The couple were influential in the appreciation of industrial architecture.
Each of these images have been taken with a similar distance and angle. This uniform approach helps to link each one and to create a more coherent grid, which was a staple of their work. This grid presents 9 different images of the same industrial sculpture. Each one is from a different location with different designs. Since they all have the same function they are bound to have similarities such as size and materials however what’s suppressing is the different shapes they have. By combining these in a grid it showcases these differences and the detail put into a simple structures composition. Since Bernd and Hilla Becher photographed disappearing industrial structures this grid would have been made to highlight the unlikely beauty in these temporary industrial tools. Had you stumbled across one of these in an area naturally you wouldn’t acknowledge the structures or their intricate composition.
The pair used a large-format camera, same as Ansel Adams, which would produce high quality black and white photographs on glass sheets. They would photograph on overcast days for dingy lighting, a white background and to present the structures as they would be seen. Between the lights and darks is a clear contrast which differentiates the sky, building and its metalwork. This lighting was different to natural landscape photographers who photographed early or late for soft lighting. Occasionally when the sky was blue without clouds, they would use a blue filter to compensate. A blue filter creates a cooling effect to correct warm lighting and can enhance shadows. The photographs are taken in portrait to cut out backgrounds and get close to the subject. These tight frames draw attention to the subject matter and create an intimate aesthetic showing the photographers appreciation while also showcasing the height. The angle is at normal eyelevel and has been taken ‘dead pan’ which in comparison to the structures appears low which furthers the massiveness of these structures and makes them seem powerful. The dead pan approach is an approach which showcases the subject as is without decorating or manipulating it in anyway which was deliberately used to showcase the structures in their natural state.
The metalwork and shape is what differentiates each structure. Not only are these factors significant in the functionality of the structures but also creates a unique appearance. The metal bars creates lines which compliment the subjects shape and have unique patterns which makes it a shame that they will be taken down. If each one looked the exact same then there wouldn’t be any attachment to the structures. Time and thought had clearly gone into the appearance of these structures and would mostly go unrecognised by the public. In contrast, the metal bars are rigid harsh lines which are clearly man-made and resemble prison bars. This menacing message of captivity and lack of power could also be highlighting the photographers feelings about the environment. They have a lack of power against man made structures which take over the landscapes. The new Topographics was made to showcase how the landscapes are being destroyed and this photograph is significant in showcasing the feeling surrounding this topic.
Photoshoot 1
This photoshoot covered both seascapes and industrial spots. Over the hour the weather changed several times. There was mist, rain, sun and clear skies which made lots of images look different.
I changed the photographs to black and white, cropped them and rotated each one. In addition I adjusted the contrast slightly and I think these images turned out better than the coloured ones. This is because I don’t think that the colour images fit into the new topographics theme as much as the others.
Panorama
I used some images of the same setting taken a slight different angle. This meant that using about 5 different images could show space on either sides of a normal image which creates a wide angle. The first one shows the jagged edges created when combining the images and the second shows it cropped for a clean shape. I liked the unique shape created and will try experimenting with this shape at a later point. There are two automatic panorama features: One in photoshop and one in Lightroom.
Photoshop
In photoshop the panorama option is accessible by selecting file(on the home screen)>Automate>Photo merge.
A pop up appears which has several different layout options. For panorama images the perspective option needs to be selected. To choose the images the files need to be selected from the files on the hard drive once the browse option is selected.
The combined images are then combined into one photoshop tab. This allows for further editing which would be absent in Lightroom.
When taking the initial photographs I managed to hold the camera at a consistent angle which produced an image with a naturally rectangular shape. I didn’t like this one as much for two reasons: This one doesn’t show the high rise flats and there was no interesting shape created.
After experimenting with the first two, I combined more images and kept the jagged shape. I like how this image turned out edit wise however next time I will be taking a photograph of a landscape with a more consistent and interesting subject such as higher tide and more rocks.
Lightroom
In Lightroom you select all the images that will be used and then the panorama option is under photo merge.
A pop up appears which is where final alterations are made. This then merges the images into one final Lightroom image which cannot be altered outside of typical Lightroom editing.
Using the Lightroom option I produced another strangely shaped panorama image. I wanted to experiment a bit more with the outcome so changed the image to black and white.
Final Images
This image has interesting lines and shows off modern architecture with simple colours and basic shapes. There is little going on with the shapes or exterior however it so obviously man made. I like the different floors with the contrasting shades and I think the shapes came out well.
This one is split into 3. The first part is the old building taking up the right side of the frame. The second part fills the middle of the frame with a reasonably aged and outdated block of flats. The size of this high riser is rare on island. The left part of the frame shows a modern block of flats that only finished construction recently. Representative of jerseys varying architecture. I would have liked the sky to have been a lighter white to contrast with he shadows of the buildings.
This image shows an industrial structure is ‘polluting’ the sky and blocking out the sun. The details are still visible on the beams despite increasing the contrast.
I like this photograph because it shows a lack of respect for the environment. there’s litter on the ground and graffiti on the bench which has taken valuable land space and gets much use.
Who – These photographs will focus on storm damage of the environment. Its effects on people will be shows through homes as opposed to showcasing people.
What – I would like to photograph immediate damage such as fallen over trees and missing roofs but also how they are being worked on and fixed such as scaffolding and machinery.
When – These photos will be taken when the weathers not so great and ideally bits of rain. This will be reflective of the storm and the negativity caused by its damage.
Where – There will be a mixture of woodlands and housing estates to showcase a range of effects.
Why – To document the storm which impacted peoples homes, educations, jobs etc. It was a major event which months later is still causing problems.
How – These images will be landscape from a distance. I would like to try exposure bracketing for HDR on some which will require a tripod. I will take some without also where a tripod wouldn’t be usable or realistic. In terms of photoshop experimentation, I would like to try and layout a newspaper of sorts.
These are all images of immediate damage from the news. In addition the JEP has created many articles and covers surrounding the topic which I would like to take inspiration from for some image presentation. I would like to experiment with placing an image in a newspaper article or similar at some point.
Photoshoot 1
For this first photoshoot I took photographs of fallen trees since I will be focussing on houses in a second one. I visited St. Catherine’s woods since many tress had fallen or been recently chopped down for safety. I changed the images into black and white and adjusted the contrasts, highlights, shadows etc. I photographed individual trees and logs mostly instead of landscapes which I didn’t realise until selecting images.
Final Image
I believe that these this one turned out the best. There is greater contrast and the photograph shows a landscape instead of just a single tree like the others.
‘Landscapes’ was a form of art where ancient artists drew and painted large spots of land such as gardenscapes which derives from the Dutch word ‘landschap’ The tradition of pure landscapes declined after the fall of the roman empire as landscapes became simply a backdrop for religious scenes. This tradition continued until the 16th century when the renaissance sparked a new interest in the natural world. The Dutch word became associated with the movement as the Netherlands was one of the first places that landscapes became a popular subject to paint. This need for large scenic paintings was born from the rising Protestant middle-class with houses in need of decorating.
Outside of the Netherlands, powerful art academies of Italy and France refused the paintings as they placed historical paintings (including classical, religious and mythological themes) above other styles as portraits, still life and landscapes were seen as inferior. Even as landscapes become more and more accepted, they were still only used as a backdrop for biblical or historical scenes. In the 17th century Landscapes took on a different form known as the ‘classical landscape’. French artists Nicolas Poussin and Claude Lorrain perfected the classical landscape after devoting their careers to roman countrysides. Poussin found that the same emotions conveyed through a person in a painting could be conveyed through a landscape and elevated landscapes to a new, higher status.
The 19th century saw the industrial revolution which altered urban landscapes and the change of old hierarchies. Landscape photography also rose in popularity and influenced the way artists depicted their paintings. Revolutionary artists such as Gustave Courbet began to push the boundaries of a landscape and allowed for future artists to break from the rigid academies. This new generation were the impressionists. Courbet had a distinctive style of layering paint which influenced artists into the 20th century as well as Van Gogh. The 20th century saw photography accepted as an art form and artists embraced landscapes as a way to respond to fears such as ecological disasters and global destruction.
Romanticism
Romanticism was a movement in the 19th century (1800s) which was a direct reaction to the 17th and 18th century enlightenment. The enlightenment was all about embracing science and reason across Europe and America and moving forwards with technological advancements bought along with the industrial revolution. This ‘head first’ society is best shown through the slave trade where minimal costs were spent on labour which lead to large profit margins. On paper this was the perfect way to money making scheme however pulled innocent individuals from other countries away from their homes and families. The romantic era thought about feelings and considered the heart instead. It rejected science as a cold and heartless worldview that run purely by reason which was a dystopian nightmare. This reaction saw the slave trade not as a business reaction but instead as the horrific abuse of people.
Industrial revolution
Romanticism was the rejection of the Enlightenment which had sucked emotion from writing, politics and art. Romanticism cantered art around emotion; personifying them as untamed nature. The industrial resolution connected the Enlightenment and the Romantics, its was a result of the enlightenment and its focus on scientific progress and the root of all romantics problems. The industrial revolution succeeded based on the efficient exploitation of the earths recourses as scientific ideas and and theories were transformed into practical realities. Factories could mass produce products which required more work and provided the owners with more to sell and therefore more money for less effort. They destroyed the environment while offering a large number of jobs. The business owners with factories saw rapid growth in success and profits while putting in less and less work themselves. Despite making more money then they knew to do with, they’d have more time to reflect. Maybe it was guilt for exploiting workers or the environment or maybe it was the fact that their happiness didn’t increase at the same rate as their wallets, but these rich men found themselves idolising the simple farmer life. Since money means power, the romantic period was run by rich, privileged, educated men in large, growing cities who saw life in the countryside as the ideal. This life wouldn’t have smog filled streets or poverty ridden workhouses, instead a sulf-sustaining utopia. They believed that centuries ago humans were happier being closer to nature despite missing the obvious fact that life for the poor in the country side was hard physical labour with poor living conditions and overall shorter lifespans. This sentiment that money doesn’t equal happiness and that a poor family is closer and happier is still common place in the media today.
Despite the flawed outlook on privilege, the romantics appreciated nature which would have effected the art produced. With a growing appreciation of nature, artists such as John Constable created pieces such as the following:
John Constable: The Hay Wain
John Constable was an artist from the romantic period (1821). He documented landscapes for future generations in fear that the progress born from the industrial revolution would ruin them. Factories were filling the air with smog and taking up valuable land. Cities were growing in size and poverty and the land was changing. This piece shows a farmer using traditional equipment such as a horse and waggon walking through a small body of water just in front of a small traditional hut. The trees in the skyline help to create an image of a traditional English countryside witch looks completely different to growing cities showing the commentary on land use, the industrial revolution and changing times. The sky is a mix of blue skies and dark, heavy clouds. The dark heavy clouds are over the house while the bright clouds are over the open landscape using pathetic fallacy to show the farmers concerns or anger over change and the blissful sunshine over the romanticised open, natural field.
The Sublime
The sublime is a quality of grandeur that inspires awe or wonder where emotion is more important than reason. Its inspired by emotions and partially in relation to the natural landscape. The Romantic sublime shares experiences of awe, terror and danger over 1770-1850.The sublime utilises personification (giving an object human like features(in this case showing emotions)), glorifies nature and places an emphasis on aesthetic beauty.
