Process

I started off my photobook layout by adding all my best images in so that I could see them all in order to start sorting their positions.

After that, I had started to arrange images where I would like them and what I would like them near. These are the arrangements for my older building images. This arrangement does not include the layout of each individual page.

I have then added some images between which present both old and new styles of Architecture to create a link between the two.

I then paired images of modern buildings which I think go well together. During this process, I eliminated a lot of photographs.

After sorting through the images, I made a start with the layout of each individual page.

I then added the front and back covers. I showed step by step how I created the front cover on my further experimentation blog post. Furthermore, I chose this specific photo as the back cover as I think it sums up the book quite well due to the combination of new and old architectural styles.

These are the first two pages of images when you open the book. I started with these because I like how they have both been taken at the same angle and they are commercial buildings with a historical architectural style.

These are my next pages. I wanted to show more commercial buildings in the same are.

I then moved on to residential buildings, focusing in on the details for the next 4 pages.

For these two images, I wanted to show two different old architectural styles.

For these two pages, I presented the same building but from different perspectives and different parts of the building.

These two images are both of buildings split into two. The first one is two buildings which are connected and the second is two houses which have different shape doors.

I presented these images together as they are both zooming in on the details.

I wanted to then transition to modern buildings by presenting images of old and new buildings together.

These are my the first images of modern buildings. I showed them together as I think they are quite similar images.

These next images I have put together as they are both of balconies.

I presented these next two images together as I was able to connect them with the lines of the buildings.

These images are similar because they both are of shapes, the first is circular and the second is triangular.

I really like these pages as the images both contain curves.

For these pages, I presented these images together as they both have square windows and are similar to my artist reference.

For these images, I presented them together as they both have similar perspective.

These images I put together as I think they look similar and both were taken at similar angles.

For this next page, I presented these images together as they both have the same triangular points.

This is my last page. I made it a double page spread of this photo because it is

Experimentation 1

For this edit, I wanted to try and make it look like there was a modern building towering behind a historic one. Firstly, I started by cropping the image and copying it to then paste it on top of the other in Photoshop. I then used Ctrl T > Distort to move the image and change the perspective to make it more realistic.

Once I had the building in place, I used the eraser tool to erase the edges that were overlapping the other building. To make this a bit easier, I lowered the opacity of the layer so that I could see the layer below.

Finally, I flattened the layers and put the image in B&W and adjusted the brightness and contrast. This was my final result. It didn’t turn out quite as good as I expected as it makes me question whether it actually looks real.

Experimentation 2

For this edit, I wanted to use an image of part of a historical building and create a background behind it using a modern building. I started off by using the quick selection tool to select the building and paste it onto the other.

Here is the building on top of the other I played around for a bit, adjusting the positioning of the layer.

I then cropped the full image and made some further adjustments.

I then erased a little part of the older building which looked out of place.

This is my final result in B&W, after increasing the brightness and contrast. I think that this image looks better than the previous but still not very realistic.

These are the images which inspire me, however they’re not edited and they are in fact real which is why mine doesn’t look great compared. I also don’t have access to settings like the ones photographed in Jersey as there aren’t many high-rise, especially ones adjacent to old buildings as the high-rises are mostly on the Waterfront which is a new/modern area.

Experimentation 3

I tried to do the same thing again for other images. I started off my opening them both in photoshop.

I then used the object selection tool to paste the layer on top then adjusted it.

I cropped the image at top and moved the layer slightly down.

Finally, I put the image in B&W and increased the brightness and contrast for my final result. I think that this looks more realistic to the previous edit of mine as it looks like it could have been taken in a built up residential area.

Experimentation 4

For this edit, I wanted to make it more interesting and have a combination of 3 buildings. I started off by selected the older building and creating another layer with just the parts I wanted. I then pasted one of the buildings in and made sure that it was the layer below so it didn’t overlap the other building.

Then, I added in another layer to the side of the image which was of another building, this building being on top of the older one.

I then erased the edges of the previous layer I had added.

Finally, I flattened the image and put it in B&W then increased the brightness and contrast to get my completed result. I personally think that this is the best experimentation edit yet as it looks the most realistic.

For this image and the previous two, I wanted to represent the difference in styles between old and modern buildings and how modern/high-rise buildings dominate and tower over old ones.

Experimentation 5

For the cover of my photobook, I wanted to have the word ‘ARCHITECTURE’ with each individual letter being and image. This is how I did it:

Here is the first A. Below I will show how I did this with another letter.

Firstly, I opened the image I wanted to use and created a background copy.

Then, I pasted the image onto the document with text and lowered its opacity so that I could see the letter below.

After that, I used the Polygonal Lasso Tool to select the image in the shape of the letter then select its inverse to delete the outside.

This was the result.

I then added in all my images on top of the letters I would like them to be. I repeated the previous process for all of the letters with straight lines.

As for letters with a curve, I had a bit of a different process.

for the C, I used a square as a guide for the edges then the eliptical marquee tool to select the outline. I then selected the inverse and deleted the extrenal area. I then did the same for the middle of the C.

I then used the Polygonal Lasso Tool to get rid of the rest.

I repeated this for the other C.

I then started the R’s by getting rid of the middle. I did this by, firstly, cutting out a circle. Then, using the polygonal lasso tool to delete the rest.

I then moved on to the middle of the U. I, once again, used a combination of the eclipse with a square and the polygonal tool.

I then finished the R’s by using both the eclipse and polygonal tools again. I used shift and alt to add and remove parts of my selection until I was satisfied with it.

These are my finished letters:

I then created a Guide Layout for the letter placement.

This is the finished product:

I have decided to make a Typology Study of Railings as I had 9 edited images of them.

Typology 1

I made this Typology by, firstly opening up a template a made in photoshop. I made this Grid Template during the Portraiture project. I then added each of my images in to Photoshop on top of the grid.

I then played around with the images, deciding on where to put them and this is my final result:

This is my final typology. There is a range of different types of railings which can be categorised together as they all have the same function. I personally think that, if I had more photos of railings to choose from, I could have made this typology better, however, I had exactly 9. This is because I don’t think some of the images are as strong as other and, due to the formatting of my grid, some have been cropped badly.

Typology 2

I then decided to also do a typology of images where I have taken the photo of the building by looking up at it. Here is the final result:

This is another typology which I decided to do. I attempted to form a grid of images that can be linked by the way in which they have been photographed from. The images in this typology have all been photographed from below, looking up at the building. I’m not sure that this typology works as I expected it to as it’s not obvious when you look at it what I was trying to do and the buildings are all of a different architectural style. Furthermore, these buildings all function differently and were made for different purposes. This makes it less of a typology and more just a grid displaying images.

For this photoshoot, I walked around the finance and office area on the waterfront. I aimed to capture images similar to my artist reference, Alex Upton. I also attempted to get images of old and new buildings together so that I can have them in the middle of my photobook to link the two styles.

This was my route:

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Photoshoot Plan

My plan for this photoshoot was to walk around the Havre des Pas area and capture the detail of the buildings as they have a unique and old style. I am particularly interested by these buildings as it fascinated me how much detail they each have. Furthermore, I also wanted to capture some images of railings as they are very distinctive and I find it interesting how many of them are inspired by nature. I am going to create a typology of these images.

This was my route:

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Question: How have Historical Periods of Time influenced Architectural Changes and therefore Photographic Styles?

Introduction

Photography is a way of preserving the world around you. It allows you to capture a moment of time and freeze it. This is significant as the world we live in is ever-changing. The world changes due to different movements and events. For example, the Climate Movement has caused people to be more considerate of the environment and, as a result, produce sustainable and energy efficient buildings. Similarly, the Romanticism movement, an artistic and intellectual movement during the Industrial Revolution, influenced Architects and Artists to use nature as an inspiration for their designs. As we can see, there is a tie between social activities and world development. In photography, The New Topographics Exhibition was a reaction to the Romanticism movement and idealised landscape photography. Lewis Baltz, a photographer who was associated with this exhibition , explored the beauty within the realistic, industrial environment at this time.

For this photoshoot, I focused on modern buildings, specifically on the water front as they are high-rise. I attempted to photograph these buildings in a way that is abstract, capturing the shapes and textures of the buildings. This is the route I walked:

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I have done a small photoshoot in St Helier to experiment with what I would like my outcomes to look like. I personally am not too satisfied with these photos and would prefer to get more detail and deadpan shots. I also think the lighting and composition in these images aren’t the best.

This is a map showing the area in which I walked:

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Final Images

Image Comparison

On the left is an image by my artist reference, Keith Dotson, and on the right is an image which I have taken. These images are similar as the style of each building are quite alike and each of these images have been taken from an angle. On the other hand, Keith Dotson’s image has a lot more contrast and detail than mine. This could have potentially been due to bad lighting or editing on my behalf, or just the buildings in general.

Keith Dotson

Some photos by Keith Dotson:

Keith Dotson is a fine art photographer who specialises in black and white photography. Keith was born in Texas, where he later graduated college and worked as a professional art director. He then went on to teach Art and Design in various colleges, before moving to Nashville, Tennessee. Although he is settled in Nashville, Keith loves to travel and capture photographs, his favourite subjects being landscapes, cityscapes and nature. Keith is drawn to historic and/or abandoned places and said that he prefers to take his photographs on gloomy days, when there is soft natural light. Keith presents his images in black and white which allows the drama and mood of the subject to shine. I personally really like his photographic style and believe that it is similar to what I try to achieve when I take my own photographs. Specifically, I am inspired by Keith Dotson’s Architectural Photography. I particularly like how he captures the details of various buildings and structures. I also like how his images have high texture and clarity.

These are some other images by Keith Dotson. I would also like to also produce detail shots like these:

Image Analysis

This is an image by Keith Dotson. This image has been taken in natural light and is displayed in black and white with great tonal range. The features in this image are sharp and detailed, with high texture and clarity. Furthermore, this image looks as if it would have been taken from a ladder or a heightened surface from the ground as it is almost deadpan, however, at a bit of a lower angle. When taken this image, it looks like Keith Dotson would have used a low aperture for a large depth of field and a quick shutter speed as the image is clear and not too over-exposed. Moreover, this image is aligned through the middle and looks like it uses the rule of thirds as the middle windows would made the middle horizontal third. The 2 horizontal lines above and below the middle windows draw your eyes to the windows as they sit between them. Finally, I believe that Keith Dotson has taken this image to highlight the detail of the building as all of its features are very detailed, even the roof tiles. I really like this image because I think that it has been beautifully designed and the image is very aesthetically pleasing to look at.

Alex Upton

Some photos by Alex Upton:

Alex Upton is a photographer who is based in London. He specialises in photographing the built environment and interiors. Alex got a first-class honours degree in Fine Arts at University of the Arts London and, since, has been working on Architectural Photography for several years. Through studying Fine Arts, Alex enhanced his attention to detail and understanding of form, space, composition and materials in relation to Architecture. To this day, he is constantly gaining knowledge and experience as his client base increases. Alex’s work covers everything from the initial stages of construction to the completion of a building. I am specifically inspired by Alex Upton’s Detail images. These images form a collection within his Portfolio and they are each presented as abstract images of buildings, with a range of shapes, colours and textures. I really like the way he takes these images as its like he views them from a different, artistic perspective than what you typically would see when you look at the building.

Image Analysis

This is an image by Alex Upton. This image looks like it would have been taken in natural light with a fast shutter speed and a low aperture. Rather than black and white like Keith Dotson’s images, this image is in colour. The colours in this image are contrasting as there are both cool and warm tones and a combination as the colours are red, blue, white and purple. Furthermore, this image looks as if it has been taken from the ground, pointing the camera up at the building from an angle. The glass of the façade in this image is creating a reflection of another building nearby and it creates a sense of perspective as it appears smaller as it gets further away, towards the right side of the images. The curve of this façade leads your eyes to the main focal point which is the left side of the image, where you can see the reflections of the other building. This building appears to be an older, not modern building which I believe adds more effect in the photo as it creates juxtaposition between the architectural styles. That is why I chose this specific image to analyse as I believe it fits well with my project. Moreover, this photograph, at first glance, looks like a pattern which starts in the top right corner and is curves which get further apart each time with lines within them. Finally, I don’t think that this image follows the rule of thirds as it is abstract because it focuses on the colour, shape and lines of the building.

Comparison of Photographers

The key similarity between these photographers is that they pay close attention towards the composition of their images and the angle at which they depict the buildings from. Specifically, Keith Dotson often takes his images straight on from the building to highlight the key details, whereas Alex Upton will often approach the building from the side/at a diagonal for a more abstract approach. They key difference between these photographers is that Keith Dotson captures the details of historical and derelict buildings, however, Alex Upton captures the geometric shapes, patterns and forms of modern architecture. Furthermore, unlike Keith Dotson, Alex Upton displays his images in colour to draw your attention to the focal points and to make the images more interesting. Altogether, the work of each of these photographers have a very different approach and subject matter, creating juxtaposition when paired together.

Other Photographers

Nick Frank

Some photos by Nick Frank:

I like the style of Nick Frank’s photographs as an idea for for further experimentation. I could create photographs similar to these by using my unedited photos of buildings, opening them in photoshop and cropping out the building to paste it onto a coloured background. I could then get an image of the colour of the background and lay it on top of the entire thing, including my building, then lower the opacity.

Bernd and Hilla Becher

Some photos by Bernd and Hilla Becher:

Statement of Intent

For my personal study, I would like to explore the different styles of Architecture through the ages in Jersey. I would like to do this because I am passionate about Architecture and I aspire to be an Architect in the future. I also believe that Architecture is so important and can transform the way people act and feel within a building. For this project, I will aim to capture the details and shapes of different buildings, both historic and modern. Firstly, I would like to photograph historical architecture such as the unique facades at Havre des Pas. I am interested in taking photographs of older buildings as they have great detail which gives me the opportunity to capture architecture detail photographs. A key Jersey Architect who’s buildings I would like to photograph is Adolphus Curry. Adolphus Curry is one of the most notable photographers and engineers in the history of Jersey. Curry was a member of the Societe of Jersey and played a big role in the development of the Museum and the preservation of many of the island’s historic buildings. Furthermore, Adolphus Curry was a very well-known and loved man and the week leading up to his death in 1910, there were daily updates of his health in the newspaper. Overall, Adolphus Curry was more than just a designer, he contributed to Jersey’s Community by having involvement in other things such as the harbours, railways, sports, rubbish disposal and more. Source

Buildings designed/altered by Adolphus Curry:

These buildings include:

• Jersey Opera House
• Ladies College
• DeGruchy
• St Helier Railway Station (At Liberty Wharf)
• 2-6 Queen Street
• Victoria Club, Beresford Street
• Ommaroo Terrace, Harve des Pas
• Midland Chambers
• Masonic Temple

For these images, a key photographer who I am inspired by is Keith Dotson. Here are some images by him which I would like my outcomes to be similar to:

On the other hand, I would also like to photograph modern buildings and their shapes and details. I would like these results to have an abstract approach. I will do this by thinking creatively about the angles in which I take the photographs and paying attention to the framing and composition. A photographer who I am inspired by for these photos is Alex Upton. Here are some of his photos which best indicate what I would like to do:

When reviewing my images, I would like to create juxtaposition between old and new architectural styles by finding images which I can match together. I would like to present my final images in a photobook, starting from historical, detailed architecture to modern, high-rise buildings and the juxtaposition between the styles.

Here are some examples of inspiration for these juxtapositions:

I can recreate these ideas by using images of high-rise buildings, such as Horizon Apartments and the International Finance Centre, and manipulate them by editing images of historical/old buildings onto them in Photoshop.

In addition, I would like to do a typology study of the external facades of buildings at Havre des Pas as they have a unique architectural style.

My Inspiration:

Overall, my personal study will be focused on architectural styles and details and the contrast between the old and new.