Robert Adams is an American photographer who was focused on changing the landscape of the American West, He participated in the exhibition New Topographics in 1975 which gained him recognition and even resulted into him winning a few awards.

Early life

Robert Adams moved with his family multiple times throughout his childhood, he contracted polio at the age of 12 in 1949 but was able to make a healthy recovery. Adams enrolled in the University of Colorado in 1955 for his first year and then transferred to the University of Redlands California the next year where he received his PhD in English Literature. In 1963 he moved back to Colorado where he began teaching English at Colorado College and in that same year he decided to purchase a 35mm camera which he used to take pictures of nature and architecture. He learned photographic techniques from Myron Wood who was a professional photographer who lived in Colorado and in 1966 he decided to only teach part time in order to devote more of his time to photography. Around 1970 he began working as a full-time photographer.

New Topographic

Roberts Adams took part of the New Topographic Exhibition and ended up having his photos presented alongside ten other contemporary photographers, Robert Adams photos typically consisted of suburban neighbourhoods which consisted of rows or groups of houses close together or close up. Robert Adams was probably so invested into New Topographic photography as he was inspired by the man-made structures and the shift of the natural world around them slowly being replaced by big groups of buildings and houses.

Image Analysis

Technical

With this image we can see that the photo uses natural light and it has a good level of exposure as all areas of the photos are easily visible. The aperture used in this image is probably a Wide Angle in order to capture the mobile homes in the lower part of the image and to also capture the mountains in the upper part of the image. This photo may have also used a long shutter speed as it looks like the sun may not be projecting too much light due to how cloudy the sky is in this photo. The Photo also looks like it uses a low ISO setting as there is a minimal amount of grain in the image.

Visual

The image is taken in a black and white colour scheme which utilises a wide range of tones, for example we can see the shadows in the bottom of the mobile homes are very black while the colour of the walls of the mobile homes are very white which shows us the contrast of light that can be seen around the image. Texture can also be seen in this image like the walls of the mobile home where you can see the line patterns of the metal or the roof of the mobile homes where you could presumably see the build up of dirt. The view point of the image you would assume to be around the bottom of the image as the image is about new Topographics so the main focus would be on the mobile homes however Robert Adams purposely left the mountains in the background of the image to shift the persons eyes more towards that area to show them the divide between the natural landscape and the human made structures. Robert Adams even framed the image in a way so that the mobile homes would only take up one half of the image and the mountains would take up another half of the image.

Contextual

This photo taken by Robert Adams was a part of the New Topographics: Photographs of a Man-Altered Landscape Exhibition. The main aim of the New Topographic was to show the change from the natural landscapes around us to the shift towards man made structures. These photos focused heavily on industrial buildings, new homes, neighbourhoods, newly constructed roads and anything else relating to the changes happening to the natural landscape.

Conceptual

Robert Adams photo (particularly this one) was different compared to the other photographers who took photos for the new Topographics. Robert Adams instead of doing a close up shot of the man made structures, he instead decided to only capture the structures as half of the image while the other half of the image was occupied by the big mountain in the background. By doing this it makes his image more meaningful as he’s not just capturing the man made structure dead on but instead he is making a comparison in a way, by showing the natural landscape in the background created with no human intervention that is now starting to be built on and will soon become something which could remove the natural aspect of the landscape.

“Topographic” refers to the features of a surface, like mountains, valleys, rivers, and hills. It shows the shape, size and details of the land in a specific area, most of the time it’s done on an map but our goal when taking topographic photos is to capture features in there full detail.

New Topographics was a term created by William Jenkins in 1975 to describe a group of American photographers (such as Robert Adams, Hilla Becher and Lewis Baltz) whose pictures had a similar aesthetic.

The photographs were all images of non-idealized landscapes, a mundane American town and repetitive suburban areas, anonymous “strip” malls, one and two-story structures along highways, liminal urban areas each bearing witness to a potential social critique. 

Here are some image examples:

Here is a photo from Robert Adams titled “Enriched Emulsion”

Here is a photo by Lewis Baltz titled “Absence Of Style”

Here is a collection of photos by Hilla Becher titled “Preparation Plants”

For this photoshoot I went to Greve de Lecq beach, where the ruggedness of the rocks fit in well with the dramatic, high-contrast images that Adams is so well known for.

I had planned to edit the images to black and white in order to try and keep the timeless aesthetic so I payed close attention to the light and shadows as I took the images in order to bring out the stark details of the landscape. I also had the tonal range in mind, striving to preserve every subtle gradation between light and shadow, emphasizing the contrast between the sunlit areas and the deep, moody shadows.

I obviously couldn’t match the level of drama or scale that is portrayed in Ansel Adams Images but I tried to convey the immense scale of the landscape. The jagged rocks seeming to reach toward the sky, while the vastness of the sea stretched out infinitely in the background. The sense of space and isolation in these images is inspired by Adams’ work, where nature is both awe-inspiring and humbling.

I also took a few images when I was driving across the north coast as it has steep rugged cliffs that I thought would fit well with this photoshoot.

Contact Sheet

Image Selection

Editing

I chose to edit my images into black and white like Ansel Adams.

Final Images

I decided to pick these 3 images as my final landscapes for this photoshoot because I think they reflect Ansel Adams’ dramatic style through careful attention to tone and contrast.

I utilised editing to replicate Adams’ zone system, concentrating on fine detail and a wide tone range. Visually, the images share strong compositions—like leading lines, dramatic skies, and textured foregrounds. To establish harmony and rhythm across the series, The first image is bold and dynamic, the second more open and reflective, and the third combines both to create balance across the series.

Contextually, my work connects to Adams’ tradition of capturing nature’s beauty to inspire respect and protection. While he focused on mountains, I used the coast to explore similar ideas of scale, power, and stillness.

Conceptually, the series expresses themes of awe, and the emotional impact of nature. The absence of colour helps focus on mood and form, while small human figures in one image hint at our insignificance within the vast landscape—an idea central to Adams’ philosophy.

New Topographics

New topographic was a term coined by William Jenkins in 1975 to describe a group of American photographers (such as Robert Adams and Lewis Baltz) whose pictures had a similar banal aesthetic, in that they were formal, mostly black and white prints of the urban landscape.

Many of the photographers associated with new topographics including Robert Adams Lewis Baltz, Nicholas Nixon and Bernd and Hiller Becher were inspired by the man-made, selecting subject matter that was matter-of-fact. Parking lots, suburban housing and warehouses were all depicted with a beautiful stark austerity, almost in the way early photographers documented the natural landscape. An exhibition at the International Museum of Photography in Rochester, New York featuring these photographers also revealed the growing unease about how the natural landscape was being eroded by industrial development.

What is new Topographics a reaction to?

The stark, beautifully printed images of the mundane but oddly fascinating topography was both a reflection of the increasingly suburbanised world around them, and a reaction to the tyranny of idealised landscape photography that elevated the natural and the elemental.

Historical context:

• Inflation and labor unrest. The country’s main economic concern in the immediate post-war years was inflation. …
• The baby boom and suburbia. Making up for lost time, millions of returning veterans soon married and started families…
• Isolation and splitting of the family unit, pharmaceuticals and mental health problems
• Vast distances, road networks and mobility

Common Themes and Concepts of New Topographics

Their photographs depicted the built environment, suburban sprawl, industrial structures, and the mundane aspects of daily life, that were taking place in the American landscape of the post- War 2, with a sense of objectivity and an almost scientific detachment.

ANSEL ADAMS

Ansel Adams was an American landscape photographer and environmentalist, widely known for his black and white images of the American West. He was a co-founder of Group f/64, an association of photographers advocating for “pure” photography. This approach emphasized sharp focus, a full tonal range, and precise attention to detail. To achieve this, Adams developed the Zone System, a technique designed to ensure all tonal values were represented in an image ; from pure black to pure white, with 11 shades of Gray in between.

Beyond his contributions to photography, Adams was a passionate advocate for environmental conservation. His work in national parks helped to highlight the beauty and power of nature, reinforcing the importance of preservation for future generations.

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His Photography

Ansel Adams’ photographic style is characterized by its sharp focus, exceptional detail, and dramatic use of light and shadow. He sought to capture the grandeur and beauty of the natural world, emphasizing the importance of preserving these pristine landscapes.

One of Adams’ key compositional techniques was to position the horizon about two-thirds up the frame. This choice placed emphasis on the landscape rather than the sky, enhancing the sense of scale and drama in his photographs.

Ansel Adams Photography Mood Board

Ansel Adams Photo analysis

The Tetons – Snake River

Technical Analysis

Lighting: The image features natural lighting, with strong contrasts between highlights and shadows. The light emphasizes the rugged texture of the mountains and the flowing river.

Aperture: Likely a small aperture (high f/stop), ensuring deep depth of field so that everything from the foreground to the distant mountains appears sharp and clear.

Shutter Speed: Given the clarity of the image, a fast shutter speed was likely used to prevent motion blur in the river and trees. likely above 1/200.

ISO: Likely low ISO to maintain fine detail and minimize grain, enhancing the crispness of the photograph. ( eg 100 iso)

White Balance: The black-and-white palette emphasizes tonal contrast rather than colour .

Visual Analysis

Colour & Tone: The monochrome scheme highlights the tonal range, from deep blacks in the trees to bright whites in the clouds. Which can be linked back to Ansel Adams zonal system.

Texture & Shape: The rough textures of the mountains contrast with the smooth curves of the river.

Pattern & Line: The winding Snake River creates a leading line, guiding the viewer’s eye through the landscape and into the mountains.

Composition: The river serves as a strong focal point, creating depth and movement in the image. The placement of the mountains follows the Rule of Thirds, while the sky and clouds add visual weight to the upper part of the image.

Contextual Analysis

Historical Context: Taken in 1942, this image is part of Adams’ work for the National Park Service, promoting conservation and appreciation of America’s natural beauty. It was also a period when photography was being used to document and preserve landscapes.

Personal Context: Ansel Adams was deeply committed to environmental conservation. His work played a role in shaping public perception of national parks, influencing conservation efforts.

Visual/Conceptual Contexts: This image aligns with the traditions of early landscape photography but elevates it through Adams’ mastery of composition and darkroom techniques. His use of the Zone System ensured precise control over contrast.

Cultural/Social/Political Contexts: The image embodies the American ideal of untouched wilderness, reinforcing the significance of national parks. At the time, the U.S. was involved in World War II, and Adams’ work offered a sense of peace and national pride.

Conceptual Analysis

Meaning & Idea: The photograph captures the scale and majesty of nature, emphasizing the power and beauty of the American landscape.

Theoretical Construct: Adams’ work is rooted in the philosophy of environmentalism and the idea that nature should be preserved and appreciated. His approach contrasts with the New Topographics movement, which documented human-altered landscapes in a more detached manner.

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Early Life

One of Adams’ earliest memories was witnessing the devastation of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. At just four years old, he was thrown face-first into a garden wall by an aftershock, leaving him with a broken nose that remained crooked for the rest of his life.

In 1907, his family moved to a home near Seacliff, just south of the Presidio Army Base, with a striking view of the Golden Gate and the Marin Headlands. As a child, Adams was hyperactive, frequently ill, and prone to hypochondria. He had few friends but found solace in nature. He spent much of his time exploring Lobos Creek, Baker Beach, and the rugged coastline of Lands End; an area notorious for shipwrecks and landslides. These early experiences in the natural world would later influence his lifelong passion for landscape photography and conservation.

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Comparison of Ansel Adams and Edward Weston

Ansel Adams and Edward Weston were both pioneers of American photography, yet their artistic approaches, techniques, and subject matter were distinctly different. The Photo Literacy Matrix provides insight into their contrasting styles through the uses of technique, composition, subject, and their philosophy.

Influence and Approach to Nature

Adams on Weston’s Influence:

“I can’t tell you how swell it was to return to the freshness, the simplicity and natural strength of your photography … I am convinced that the only real security lies with a certain communion with the things of the natural world.” -Letter from Edward Weston to Ansel Adams, 1936.

While both photographers were deeply inspired by nature, Weston’s approach was more intimate and abstract, focusing on form and texture. Adams, on the other hand, sought to capture vast landscapes with unparalleled precision. This letter reflects Adams’ appreciation for Weston’s minimalist style and direct relationship with nature.

Adams on His Own Technique (Zone System)

“I developed the Zone System as a way to create consistency and accuracy in the photographic process. It was about controlling exposure and development to produce the exact tonal range I wanted. I wanted the photographs to be as precise as possible.” -Ansel Adams

Adams’ Zone System was a highly technical method, allowing photographers to control exposure and tonal values with scientific precision. In contrast, Weston was more intuitive, relying on his eye and emotional response rather than strict technical guidelines.

Weston on Adams’ Work

“There is a grandeur in Adams’ work, an extraordinary definition, but it is more than that – it is the clarity with which he sees, the care with which he interprets, and the immense patience with which he waits for the perfect light.” – Edward Weston

Weston admired Adams’ meticulous craftsmanship, patience, and ability to capture nature’s grandeur. This highlights the contrast between Adams’ structured approach and Weston’s more spontaneous, emotional engagement with his subjects.

Critical Perspectives on Adams and Weston

“Ansel Adams captured the majesty of the American West with unparalleled clarity and precision, while Edward Weston’s work transcends documentary, transforming simple forms into complex works of art that explore the depths of human experience.” -Photography Critic

This comparison underscores Adams’ reputation for technical excellence and breath-taking landscapes, while Weston is celebrated for his abstract, intimate compositions that evoke deeper artistic and emotional responses.

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ANSEL ADAMS PHOTOSHOOT

What are The New Topographics?

New topographics was a term created by William Jenkins in 1975 to describe a group of American photographers (such as Robert Adams and Lewis Baltz) whose pictures had a similar banal aesthetic, in that they were formal, mostly black and white prints of the urban landscape and could sometimes be used to show the contrast between nature and the urban landscape.

Key features of the new topographics

photographs depicted the built-up environment, suburban areas, industrial structures and the mundane aspects of daily life, that were taking place in the American landscape.

Key artists of the new topographics

Many of the photographers associated with new topographics including Robert Adams, Lewis Baltz, Nicholas Nixon and Bernd and Hiller Becher who were inspired by the man-made side of the world.

What was the new topographics a reaction to?

The new topographics were a reaction to the realized change from nature to urban landscapes and reflecting juxtaposition between them, they were shown as mundane but oddly fascinating images and was a reflection of the increasingly suburbanised world around them.

Case study – Stephan Shore

Who was he –

Stephen Shore is an American photographer known for his images of scenes and objects of the banal, and for his pioneering use of color in art photography. His books include Uncommon Places and American Surfaces, photographs that he took on cross-country road trips in the 1970s.

Image analysis –

Technical –

– well lit, outside, natural lighting / outside

– shot on large format field camera

– sharp image overall while moving objects like cars are blurry

Visual –

– pavement used as line leading up to natural environment (mountains)

– Chevron signs pointing and leading to mountains

– colours shown in signs photographed represent America / American flag

– lots of different shapes, geometric

– space used with the sky taking up the majority of the image

Contextual –

– Artist in movement reflecting how new of a country is compared to old European ones

– Post world-war 2

– Taken in LA in 1975

Conceptual –

– Contrast between built up area and mountains in the background shows change in movements

Quote –

“I discovered that this camera was the technical means in photography of communicating what the world looks like in a state of heightened awareness.” – Stephan Shore

In this Photoshoot I explored the movement of water at the beach, focusing on how it constantly shifts and changes. I looked at composition, using the flow of the waves and the patterns in the water to create dynamic images. Perspective and scale were important in showing the contrast between the vastness of the sea and the smaller details, like the way water moves around rocks.  

Light played a key role in my images, as I captured how it affected the colours, shadows, and tonal value of the water throughout my images. I also focused on texture capturing the the smooth and rough parts of the water. This photoshoot allowed me to explore the way water interacts with its surroundings, creating images that capture the movement of the water.

Contact Sheet

Long Exposure

Some of my long exposure images turned out like this one (blurred) but I quite like how the misty water erupts over the rocks, it creates a sense of eeriness but in a way it’s also peaceful.

Short Exposure

I took images of the same flow of water with a short exposure to contrast the long exposure images. Which allowed me present the movement of water in different ways.

I positioned the camera down low, pointing upwards towards the waterfall so the rocks are in focus which captures how the water bubbles and moves around them.

Editing Before and After

Here I adjusted the contrast, shadows, highlights and dehaze in order to dramatize the movement of the water.

Final Images- Presented in Art Steps

I chose these 3 Images as they include both long and short exposure and they are taken from various perspectives which represent my aim for this photoshoot, which was to explore the movement of water.

Landscape photography used to be about capturing nature at its most dramatic and untouched. But in 1975, a group of photographers took a different approach. Instead of photographing mountains and forests, they focused on suburbs, industrial sites, and parking lots, everyday places shaped by people. This style became known as New Topographics and changed the way we think about landscapes.

Where Did New Topographics Come From?

The term New Topographics came from a 1975 exhibition at the International Museum of Photography in Rochester, New York. Curated by William Jenkins, the show featured photographers like Robert Adams, Lewis Baltz, Bernd and Hilla Becher, and Nicholas Nixon, who all photographed human-altered landscapes in a neutral, documentary style.

Their images weren’t meant to be beautiful or dramatic. They were often black and white, simple, and straightforward, just showing the way things were, without adding emotion or judgment.

Robert adams

One of the most influential photographers in the New Topographics movement was Robert Adams. His work focused on the rapid urbanization of the American West, particularly in Colorado. Adams documented how new housing developments, roads, and industry transformed the once-open landscapes.

His photos often present stark contrasts between nature and human expansion. In images like Colorado Springs, Colorado, 1968, Adams captures rows of identical houses against vast, empty skies. The uniformity and repetition of these structures highlight the loss of individuality and natural beauty in the push for economic growth.

Adams’ work isn’t entirely pessimistic, though. While his images show environmental change and urban sprawl, they also find quiet beauty in the ordinary. His compositions are carefully framed, making even mundane subjects, like highways or suburban fences, visually striking. His photography encourages us to look at familiar places differently, questioning how we shape and experience the world around us.

Image Analysis

Robert Adams’ Colorado Springs, Colorado, 1968:

Technical

• Camera and Film: Adams likely used a medium or large-format camera, which gives a lot of detail and depth to the image.
• Exposure and Lighting: The lighting looks natural, with soft shadows and clear highlights. It feels like it was taken in the late afternoon, with a balanced exposure showing both light and dark areas clearly.
• Composition: The photo is well thought out, with elements like the land, sky, and possibly some buildings placed carefully. The horizon line is low, making the sky feel vast.

Visual

• Tone and Contrast: Since it’s black-and-white, the contrasts between dark and light are important. The stark contrast gives the photo a clean, sharp look that adds to the feeling of openness.
• Subject Matter: The focus is on wide, open spaces, often with very little human presence. Any human-made structures are small, showing how nature dominates the scene.
• Space: There’s a lot of empty space, making it feel wide and open. This can give a sense of loneliness or isolation.

Contextual

• Historical Moment: The photo was taken in 1968, during a time when cities were rapidly growing, and suburban sprawl was taking over. This fits into Adams’ focus on how human development was starting to change the natural landscape.
• Environmental Impact: Adams is known for photographing the American West, especially focusing on how urbanization and development were affecting the environment.
• Adams’ Perspective: He loved the American West and wanted to capture it before it was changed forever. In the late ’60s, he started showing the effects of that change, highlighting the quiet, sometimes sad consequences of human growth.

Conceptual

• Nature vs. Civilization: The photo highlights the tension between the open land and the human structures that are slowly taking over it. It’s a reminder of how much nature is being altered by development.
• Solitude: The wide, empty spaces give a feeling of loneliness. The smallness of human figures or buildings in the scene makes you think about how we’re just one part of a much bigger, more powerful world.
• Critique of Development: Adams is kind of questioning the idea of constant growth and progress. The photo feels like a commentary on how human development might be coming at the cost of something beautiful.

What Was New Topographics a Reaction To?

Before this movement, landscape photography often romanticized nature, ignoring how people had changed the environment. New Topographics photographers challenged that idea, documenting the way human expansion had reshaped the landscape.

Historical Context

It was also a response to what was happening in post-war America. After World War II, there was a housing boom, highways expanded, and shopping malls took over open land. Cities grew fast, and suburbs spread further out. These photographers were capturing that shift.

At the same time, environmental issues were becoming more noticeable. Industrial development and urban sprawl were raising concerns about pollution and overdevelopment. While these photographers didn’t make direct political statements, their images highlighted the impact of human progress on the landscape.

Why It Matters

The 1970s was a time of big changes. The economy was shifting, inflation was rising, and protests for civil rights, women’s rights, and against the Vietnam War were shaping society. The landscapes captured by New Topographics photographers reflected this moment, a world where expansion, progress, and loss were happening all at once.

Their images still feel relevant today. Urban sprawl, industrialization, and environmental change haven’t slowed down. This style of photography makes us look at these spaces differently, not as background scenery but as part of the world we’ve built.

Stephen Shore, Beverly Boulevard and La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles, California, June 21, 1975, chromogenic colour print

• Foreground vs background | Dominant features
• Composition | low horizon line | Square format
• Perspective and detail / cluttering
• Wide depth of field | Large Format Camera
• Colour | impact and relevance
• Nationalism vs mobility vs isolation
• Social commentary | The American Dream ?
• An appreciation of the formal elements : line, shape, form, texture, pattern, tone etc

Description:

Technical:

Stephen Shore’s photo of Beverly Boulevard and La Brea Avenue captures the harsh daylight of midday, where the sun is directly overhead, creating sharp shadows that give the scene a lot of depth and texture. The use of a large-format camera makes everything in the shot super detailed, from the cars on the street to the buildings and the trees. The chromogenic color print brings out the vivid colors, making even the smallest things stand out. The result is a super clear, almost crisp image that feels both real and slightly heightened, like you’re seeing the everyday world in a new way.

Visual:

The composition is all about the urban environment. You see a long stretch of road and low buildings, and there’s a sense of space that feels wide and open. The way the elements of the photo are arranged follows the rule of thirds to some degree, but it’s not strict. There’s a flow to the image, with the street and the buildings pulling your eye toward the horizon. The lines of the road and the edges of the buildings lead you into the distance, creating a sense of depth. The square format of the photo makes everything feel balanced, and the whole scene seems a bit compressed, like it’s all being funneled toward one point, adding to the feeling of space in the image.

Contextual:

This photo was taken in Los Angeles in 1975, a time when the city was all about cars and expansion. The image shows the effects of urbanization, with lots of streets, billboards, and cars, symbols of a rapidly industrializing America. The bright colors, reds, blues, and whites, could be nods to the American flag and what those colors represent in terms of national identity. The scene is a bit isolating, even though it’s a busy street, you don’t see much interaction between people. Instead, it’s all about the car culture and consumerism that defined the time. It feels like Shore is commenting on how progress and technology shape our lives, for better or worse, and how that can sometimes disconnect us from nature.

Conceptual:

The image is more than just a snapshot of Los Angeles, it’s a reflection on what America was going through at the time. The street seems to go on forever, pointing toward a future that’s all about roads and infrastructure. There’s this pull between the ideal of the open road and the reality of urban sprawl. The photo isn’t romanticizing the city but is more about observing it as it is, big, fast, and sometimes a little isolating. The cars and the billboards show the busy, consumer-driven culture, but the image also makes you think about where all this progress is taking us. It’s like the road stretches out, but does it lead to something meaningful or just more of the same?

My photos:

These are my photos that i think represent the type of new topographic photography the best, in which i will pick a few that i think are edit worthy and more likely to reproduce this way of photography.

These are the photos i think are good enough to be able to edit and that i think most represent the work of new topographics

The way i have edited these photos makes it so it better represents the way of new topographics at the time of its relevance, with it being in black and white.

Mood-board

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Artist Reference – David Hockney 

Who is he –

David Hockney is an English painter, draughtsman, printmaker, stage designer, and photographer. As an important contributor to the pop art movement of the 1960s, he is considered one of the most influential British artists of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Image analysis –

Hockney took hundreds of photos at a crossroads in the USA, using individual images from all around the wide environment and putting them together to create something that looks much different than the original scenery. The image is well lit and outside and saturated, using a fast shutter speed to create sharp images using a low ISO (most likely 100) due to the well lit environment creating a warm image with lots of contrasting colours due to the style of photo created. The road in the middle of the image is used as a line leading to the blue sky, mountains in the distance and the wide open space. I believe that the road signs in the image have been used to make you feel like the passenger in a car driving down a long road in out of civilization where really, where the image was taken the area looked nothing like this description.

Where image was taken –

Quote –

“You must plan to be spontaneous.” – David Hockney 

Contact sheet

selection process

as you can see above I used P and X to flag my images to filter out the bad ones from the ok and good ones, next I rated these images 4 or 5 stars as 4 being ok ones and 5 being good ones, finally I gave them the colour yellow or green, green being the best and yellow being good. I will now edit these images that I selected and present them bellow along with the raw images.

final images

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Evaluation

These images above have been taken and edited into panoramas and joiner images, doing this helps to expand on the image and almost explore an entire different story than what it would have been, instead of just a snippet of the landscape you get the entire thing which has helped to show contrast between the built up man made landscapes and creates a juxtaposition between the dramatic sky and the man-altered reclaimed landscape creates tension in the environment as you can’t enjoy the natural view without seeing the urban landscape around you. Although the focus in this image is the natural landscape the buildings draw your gaze away from it. The ISO on these images is likely low as it is in a well lit environment in daylight.

What is a New Topographic?

Image from the Hautlieu creative blog

”New Topographics: photographs of man altered landscape” this was an exhibition of contemporary landscape photography held at George Eastman House’s international museum of photography ( October 1975 – February 1976 ) the show was made by William Jenkins which had a lasting effects on aesthetic and conceptual approaches to landscape photography.

This images documentaries built landscape and the natural landscape in America often showing tension between natural scenery compared to the structures of post-war America. The photos often had a documentary feel to them and are devoid of human presence, which give the image a whole new feel of emotion.

Examples of New Topographics

Images from google.

this images help to also see the vision of the “ growing unease about how the natural landscape is ruined by industrial development – This could link to the romanticism movement.

Have a look at this link or my previous post about romanticism.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanticism

Historical context:

Post-war America struggled with economy and the great rise in inflation. As well as after the war ended all the veterans returned home and to make up for lost time got married and started families. However due to the war there were a lot of mental and physical health problems and issues with pharmaceuticals.

Lewis Baltz

An American visual artist and photographer. Was best known for his monochrome images of suburban landscapes and industrial parks which commented on the American dream.

Lewis Baltz was born September 12, 1945 in California. Baltz work focused on trying to find the beauty in the destruction to the natural environment, His pictures can be seen as a reflection show the control and power over human beings. More specifically his work and exhibitions of his ” topographic” work such as “The New Industrial Parks” show the crisis of technology on humans as well as his work titled “Candlestick Point” consisted of 84 photographs which showed a public space taken over by humans leaving things such as debris and litter next to a national park.

During 1980s Baltz moved himself and his work to Europe and this is when his work started to change and turn into large colour prints. In 2002 Baltz became a professor in the European Graduate school in Saas-Fee Switzerland and lived his last years through Paris and Venice but passed in 2014 following illness.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Baltz

Baltz analysis

This is image is taken using a digital camera and the genre of this photography is landscape.

The mise-en-scene presents an industrial looking area with a ladder door and it could possibly could even be undergoing construction as there are some cement blocks there. The tone of this image is quite light overall, due to the amount of the concrete which adds a nice juxtaposition and contrast compared to the dark painted area of the right. The use of light in this image is soft, however, I think it is natural lighting as they are outside perhaps on a construction site. The focus distance is long as everything is in focus including all the background and foreground of the image. The depth of field is large as everything is in focus. The  leading lines of the images would be the sections of different paint and tones in the image.

I believe the ISO is 100 as everything is in as most of the image is in focus. I believe that the shutter speed is 1000 as everything is clear.

Stephen Shore

Stephan Shore is an American photographer who is known for his images of scenes and objects of banal and is colour photography work.

in 1971 Stephan Shore was the first living photographer to be exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Stephen Shore analysis

Stephen Shore, Beverly Boulevard and La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles, California, June 21, 1975, chromogenic colour print

This is image is taken using a digital camera and the genre of this photography is landscape.

The mise-en-scene presents the Beverly Boulevard in LA California. The tone of this image is quite light overall, if you have a look at the image you can easily tell that it is American as all the colours of the signs and the general colours of the surrounding are red white and blue which are associated with America due to the colours of the flag which shows the patriotism and possibly the pride that they have for their nation. The use of light in this image is soft, however, it is natural lighting as they are outside in standing on the sidewalk. The focus distance is long as everything is in focus other than the mountains in the background so perhaps a setting on his camera was used such as portrait mode. The depth of field is large as everything is in focus. The  leading lines of the images would be the straight lines such as the lamp posts in the image draw your eye up towards the top/sky of the image.

I believe the ISO is 100 as everything is in as most of the image is in focus however the background is blurred and grainy. I believe that the shutter speed is 1000 as everything is clear.

Photoshoot plan

I’m going to go into town and take pictures of a bunch of the different car parks that are around .