Bernd and Hilla Becher

Hilla and Bernd Becher are key names in the photography typology world. Their aim was to preserve landscape especially buildings soon to be demolished. They tried to capture disappearing subjects to document the changing world and how that period of history’s landscapes stood out as it as the building of the country after WW2. They were married from 1961and travelled together in a VW campervan taking images.

They used a large format camera to take the shots however it was time consuming as it would only take one shot at a time. They took 8 different angles of each of the structures they photographed. Hilla reports being inspired by looking at biology books specifically by Karl Blossfeldt who created a book of images of dried plants on a white background for his art students to draw pencil drawings from.

Hilla and Bernd Becher aimed to recreate the style of photography with the white background and grey tones in the buildings to contrast the background. If the lighting was too bright they would wait for a cloud or another day or a different season. They wanted for it to be a grey day for less shadows and white sky in background. The Bechers put the images together in a grid pattern to show similar patterns in architecture.

They ended their photography career with the legacy of being opposed to romanticising. Make realistic images “as close to what the subject wanted to be” and inspired many to look differently at what photography could represent and be a form of documentation and art simultaneously.

Fort the last typology I thought it looked good in both black and white and colour

I made a virtual gallery to display the photos side by side and chose a dark wall to be able to see the borner better.

Comparison

Mind Map

Typologies mood board

This is what i want to take photos of. I have inspiration from Hilla and Bernd Becher.

Composition

I will frame the subject in line with the rule of thirds.

Topographics

Mind map

Ideas

This is what i want to try and achieve

What is Topographics?

New Topographics began in 1975 after the American war describing the photography style of a group of American photographers who took photos capturing human relationship between manmade and natural landscapes. The style of photography looks to present unromanticised and almost ugly depictions of the landscape to criticise the development of architecture and comment of the contextual going ons of the time such as after the war there was a spike in baby’s being born called the baby boom as fertility rates went up in many countries and numbers of people settling and having children also increased.

This style of photography often does not include humans within the photos and challenge the boundaries of beauty within landscapes. The group of eight photographers selected by William Jenkins, an art and photography critic. Each photographer produced 10 prints each and consisted of  Robert Adams, Lewis Baltz, Joe Deal, Frank Gohlke, Nicholas Nixon, John Schott,  Stephen Shore, and Henry Wessel, Jr. Along with a German couple, Bernd and Hilla Becher. The images were displayed in a small exhibition at The George Eastman House.

Robert Adams

Robert Adams was born on May 8th in 1937 in New Jersey. During his early life his family moved around often before settling in Wheat Ridge, Colorado in 1952. Growing up he had many health problems such as many allergies and asthma he also contracted polio at age 12 but was able to recover. Despite this Adams enjoyed sports hiking and walking in nature and spending time with his family. He was also a part of the boy scouts and worked in national parks and spent time reading and visiting art museums with his sister.

In 1955 Adams attended the University of Colorado but then went on to transfer to the University of Redlands and received a BA in English before attending the University of Southern California and graduated with a PhD in English language.

He first began his photography career in 1963 where he bought his first camera and began to study how to use a camera and learnt photographic technique from a photographer living in the area . in 1970 he began working full time as a photographer after the Museum of Modern Art bought 4 of his prints.

Technical

The lighting is natural daylight as the image is taken outside from what looks to be up on a hill. The photographer has framed the horizon line using the rule of thirds so that the buildings take up two thirds of the image. The mountain/hill is in the background however is more centered to still bring viewers attention to it despite it not being in the foreground.

Visual

The image is in black and white showing how Adams sees the place as boring and barren. However, there is many different variant tones of light and dark throughout. The shape of the blocky square shapes of the caravans contrast the smooth round shape of the hill/mountain and draws the viewer’s eye to the modernism of the time clashing with the environment. The mix of leading lines crossing over one another of how the road is pointing right and the caravans are pointing left shows how he sees the town as a mess and as a wrong place to be.

Contextual

Taken in the 19th century. During this time in America it was after WW2 and though America was not suffering with rebuilding the city there were many deaths of young men fighting

Conceptual

He was trying to bring truth to the idealistic misconception of the American dream and how the crisis of mental health and the poor quality of life of the civilians was being ignored by the government and was still encouraging people to move away to very rural areas. He attempted to make the people understand the nationalism propaganda they were being fed was not the truth. As well as discouraging the uglier architecture built in natural surrounding landscapes which in his opinion was ruining views and American landscapes.

Lewis Baltz

Born in Newport Beach, California on the 12th of September 1945 Lewis Baltz’ passion for photography began when he was just 11 years old with his first camera being a 35mm focusing camera. He described seeing photography as “Magic” when he first began, in an interview with David Campany. Influenced by famous artists such as Edward Weston and Wright Morris. He was most known for his works of black and white images of suburban landscapes as he tried to resist against industrialisation the false presentation of the “American Dream”. In 1975 his work was displayed in the original New Topographics exhibition mentioned previously in this post. At age 26 in 1971 he graduated from the San Francisco Art Institution after attending to avoid military service in Vietnam and had his first solo exhibition in the same year presented at Leo Castelli Gallery in New York. Two years later received his MFA from Claremont Graduate School. He taught photography at multiple schools including Yale and the Art Academy of Helsinki. He was motivated by American politics of the time as funding was cut from the arts by figures such as Ronald Reagan and George Bush. Baltz began creating works to criticise and bring focus to how the seeable and physical world was reflecting what was happening daily and the powers guiding them in their country as scenery began to become bland and shallow. He also explored how new technologies were being misused especially types such as security cameras and CCTV. He left America for France in 1989 and continued travelling extensively. Following this he changed his photography style from black and white to coloured stating it was a shift from looking at the past to the future as well as

My Lewis Baltz Inspired Images

Compare and contrast

There is similarities in our work for example the use of repetitive square patterns throughout. Such as the geometric angles of in Lewis Baltz work of the metal carriers and the windows in my work and the square fan on the outside of the buildings. They’re also similar in the black and white tones of them however Lewis Baltz has a more vintage purple tinge to it which could be due to the inkjet he’s used to print compared to my computer generated B&W. A difference in the images is images are mostly comprised of the man made subjects however my work has nature in the background in small proportions such as the branches in the background and though Baltz has the sky in his I don’t know if it was intended or if he just wanted a plain grey background. Another aspect which is similar is there isn’t much texture in either image as the buildings are quite flat and plain. The layout is also more or less the same with both of us using the rule of thirds with the placement of the squares being on one side of the image, mine on the left side and Baltz on the right as well as the horizontal lines across the images. Also the depth of field is similar with similar distance in the foreground to the subject.

Stephen Shore

Born October 1947 Shore is from a Jewish family who ran a handbag company living in New York. At 6 years old he was gifted his first Kodak dark room set from a family member. From there Shore was self taught and studied photography through books until age 4 when his work was bought by the Museum of Modern Art NY. At age 18 Shore began working at Andy Warhol’s studio where he’d spend his time for the next two years. Shore also had a solo exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1971. It was in the 1970’s where Stephen Shore gained his title as a major colour photographer all of his images were shot using a large format camera and used kodacolor-X giving a high colour quality. Shore eventually published his book Uncommon Places in 1982.

Technical

The lighting is natural daylight. Shore used many different types of cameras such as 35mm hand held cameras and then switched to a 4X5″ view camera and then a 8×10 format camera.

Visual

The use of capturing the red white and blue colours are to represent the american flag colours. The photo is taken at eye level to show what the day to day surroundings of an American citizen would look like. The use of different leading lines such as the pavement pointing to the mountains in the distance.

Contextual

Shore was mostly self taught however was influenced by Andy Warhol through his time working with him. The state of America of the mid 1970’s and how many were struggling with mental health along with the economic state of the country being poor with inflation and government spendings on the Vietnam war along with the 1973 Oil crisis which could be why Stephen Shore chose a petrol station as his photographic subject.

Conceptual

Stephen Shore wants to comment on the landscape of the time but also the state of America of the mid 1970’s as previously explained. The leading lines drawing the viewer to the mountains in the back conceptually means that that is what the true landscape should look like instead of the endless stretching concrete. He does this to show humanities effect on the environment.

My Stephan Shore Inspired Photos

Contact Sheet

The Selection

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★★★★★

New Topographics

Further Selection

Editing

For these images I decided to create three different versions of the pictures to see the difference it would make. The first image shows a reality in which the lighting is natural and its not overly saturated or manipulated in a way it would look unrealistic. Image two shows a saturated version of the original with deep contrast making the sky and ground complete opposites. In exaggerating the settings I was able to make the trees stand out with their textures compared to the grass y using a linear gradient overlay. Lastly, for my third image I edited it to be black & white to show accentuate the images’ natural tonal range with a few tweaks of my editing placed in with it.

I decided to edit this picture because of the natural shadow creating an opaque shadow which shows great contrast. I edited it to be a highly saturated image compared to a black & white image to show the deep contrast and how the shadow would like in comparison.

For this image, I took a picture because I like how the sunlight created a harsh shadow in an almost triangle shape. I also like how this image has many lines across it almost creating a sequence of patterns which is why I edited it in colour and black & white. For the second image I upped the texture to make the gaps and lines stand out more to the eye which gives the image a nice sharp looking edge to it. I also like this image because of the hint of red on the sign as the colour pallet is quite neutral the red gives it a pop of vibrancy.

For this image I had many ways in how to edit it, however I still kept the black & white pictures to give it a nice contrast to the coloured images. Image 2 shows a reality image with neutral lighting with a little saturation or contrast however image 3 shows a more ‘run down’ esque looking image due to the tonal values I edited it to have it has a darker looking imagery to the rest. My preferred black & white image is 1 as it looks much simpler to number 4

I decided to photograph this image as I really liked the effect the shadows are creating against the building with that, I upped the contrast to make the shadows stand out even more creating a sharp effect. Another reason I like this image is because of the purple against the neutral browns and greens, and as purple is in contrast with yellows, beiges, etc it really stands out creating an eye catching image.

What Are Typologies?

Typologies in photography are series of images that show a group of similar objects, buildings, or scenes in a consistent, repetitive way. Each photo follows the same style or setup, helping viewers easily compare the similarities and differences between subjects. It’s all about noticing the small details you might usually overlook.

Typologies make everyday things feel unique. By photographing similar subjects side-by-side, photographers show patterns, differences, and stories we might not see otherwise. Typologies can highlight social, cultural, or environmental themes too. They encourage viewers to slow down and really look.

Typologies became famous through German photographers Bernd and Hilla Becher. Starting in the 1950s, they photographed industrial structures like water towers, coal bunkers, and gas tanks. They used a very deadpan style: plain backgrounds, even lighting, and no fancy angles. Their work inspired a whole new way of thinking about photography.

Artist reference:

Bernd and Hilla Becher are considered pioneers of typological photography. They met at art school and started working together in the late 1950s. Their goal was to document disappearing industrial architecture across Europe and North America. They photographed structures like water towers, blast furnaces, and silos with a strict, consistent style. Every image was black and white, taken from a similar angle, and presented in grids to highlight small variations. Their influence can still be seen today in modern documentary and conceptual photography.

Typology plan:

I will have to choose something repeatable like doors, shop fronts, trees, or street signs. This will allow me to accurately represent the main idea of typologies.

To recreate these photos shown, i will have to use the same framing, lighting, and angles for every photo. This will give it an effect that the photos do have similarity in them whilst also being unique in the process.

I will then edit these photos and crop them to allow assortment into grids that make up the typologies. I could even go out of my way to make them black and white to better represent my work in the way of Bernd and Hilla Becher.

Typology Photos:

These photos are only one of the small photoshoots i’m going to be doing for typologies, this photoshoot focuses on windows, with there being a difference in photos but also a type of similarity between them.

In the grid format:

Contact Sheet

For this photoshoot, I went to the old sea cadet unit for some images and for the rest I went to La Collette industrial estate so I could capture Hilla and Bernd Becher typologies ideas.

Image Selection

These are the six images I have picked for my typologies photoshoot to edit. I like these images because they have industrial value which links to Hilla and Bernd Becher.

Image N01

This is the image I’m going to edit.

This is the edited image.

This is the filter I used to edit the image.

This is how I edited this image.

Black and White

This is black and white image I have edited.

This is how I edited my black and white image.

Image N02

This is the image I want to edit.

I have cropped the image because it was unequal and wasn’t matching the rule of thirds.

This is the filter I’ve used to create this image.

This is the image I’ve edited.

This is how I’ve edited my image.

Black and White

This is being cropped due to much negative space in the foreground.

This is the final edited image, this image didn’t need a filter since white has stood out in the sky and makes the incinerator look tall and towering.

This is how I edited my image.

Image N03

This is the image I want to edit.

I have cropped this image due to lots of the foreground being exposed.

This is the edited image.

This is how I’ve edited my image.

Black and White

This is the edited black and white image.

this is how I edited my image.

Image N04

This is the image I want to edit.

This is being cropped due to lots of negative space in the background and the foreground.

This is the edited image.

Black and White

This is the cropped image.

I have darkened the mage to bring out the rust on the container.

This is how I edited my image

Image N05

This is the image I want to edit.

This is the cropped image due to unequal symmetry in both halves of the image.

This is the edited image.

This is how I edited my image.

Black and White

This is the final image with further editing.

This is the filter I have used.

This is how I edited my image.

Image N06

This is the image I want to edit.

This is the cropped image. Its been cropped because it want the container centred so it follows the rule of thirds.

This is the edited image.

This is how I edited my image.

Black and White

This is the final image.

I have used this filter because it gives a lovely industrial effect and it really brings out the pattern on the container.

This is how I edited my image.

Final Images

I like these images because they give off industrial vibes and they link with Hilla and Bernd Becher typologies collection.

What Does the word actually mean?

In photography, landscapes refer to images that capture the beauty of natural or urban environments. This genre focuses on wide, scenic views such as mountains, forests, coastlines, or city skylines. Landscape photography often aims to convey a sense of place, mood, or atmosphere, using elements like light, weather, and composition to create impactful visuals. Photographers typically use wide-angle lenses and techniques that keep the entire scene in sharp focus, highlighting the depth and scale of the surroundings.

When did it start to become popular?

Landscape photography began gaining popularity in the mid-19th century, around the 1850s to 1860s, with the development of early photographic processes like the daguerreotype and wet plate collodion. It became especially prominent during the exploration of the American West, when photographers like Carleton Watkins and Ansel Adams later helped establish landscape photography as both an art form and a tool for conservation. By the early 20th century, it had grown into a respected genre, admired for its ability to capture the grandeur and emotion of the natural world.

What prompted the rise of Landscape Art during the late 18th / 19th century?​

The rise of Landscape Art in the late 18th and 19th centuries was driven by a mix of cultural and societal shifts. During the Enlightenment, there was a growing fascination with nature, influenced by thinkers like Rousseau who saw it as pure and unspoiled. This paved the way for Romanticism, which embraced emotion and the sublime in nature, with artists like J.M.W. Turner and Caspar David Friedrich creating dramatic, awe-inspiring landscapes. At the same time, the Industrial Revolution caused rapid urbanization, and the countryside became idealized as a symbol of a simpler, more natural life, prompting artists to capture rural landscapes as a contrast to industrialization.

John Constable

John Constable (1776–1837) was an English landscape painter renowned for his depictions of the English countryside, particularly the area around his home in Suffolk, which became known as “Constable Country.” While he is primarily celebrated as a painter, there is no historical record of him working as a photographer, as photography had not yet been invented during his lifetime.

Constable was good of capturing natural light, atmosphere, and movement in his paintings, often working air to study the effects of changing weather and seasons. His most famous works include The Hay Wain (1821), Dedham Vale (1802), and Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows (1831). His technique of using loose, expressive brushstrokes and his dedication to painting nature as he saw it were highly influential, especially on the later Impressionists.

Although he struggled to achieve commercial success during his lifetime, Constable’s work gained recognition in France, where his naturalistic approach inspired the Barbizon School and later artists such as Claude Monet. Today, he is considered one of Britain’s greatest landscape painters, whose art continues to captivate audiences with its deep appreciation for nature and rural life.

A panoramic/joiner image is showing a FOV (field of view) approximating, or greater than, that of the human eye – about 160° by 75°, it generally has a aspect ratio of 2:1 or larger, the image being at least twice as wide as it is high. The resulting images take the form of a wide strip.

1. Josef Hoflehner

• An Austrian photographer known for large-scale, minimalist panoramic landscapes and seascapes, he usually did them in black and white.

2. David Hockney

• David specialised as a painter, he used photography to create panoramic collages, capturing scenes from multiple angles and putting them together, his work is conceptual rather than traditional panoramic.

3. Ken Duncan

• An Australian landscape photographer known for his panoramic images of the Australian outback and other landscapes.

4. Thomas Struth

• Known for panoramic museum interiors and cityscapes.

5. Michael Reichmann

• A Canadian photographer who was an early advocate of digital panoramic photography.

6. Andreas Gursky

• While not always working in a traditional panoramic format, his ultra-large-scale images often span enormous horizontal spaces and can be considered panoramic.

Here are some panoramic photos I made: