NEW TOPOGRAPHICS PHOTOSHOOT
HIGHLANDS
For this photoshoot, I was inspired by the New Topographics movement, which focused on man-altered landscapes, objective framing, and a rejection of traditional romantic views of nature. My aim was to explore Highlands College and its surrounding campus in a way that reflected the ideas of artists like Robert Adams and Bernd and Hilla Becher
INSPO
Function over form: I documented structures like bins ,crates stairwells, fences, signs, and railings everyday objects not designed to be beautiful but functional.
Human impact: Though there were no people in the frame, their presence is felt everywhere through construction, landscaping, and order.
Geometric framing: I looked for harsh edges, grids, and repetition (like railings, windows, and paving slabs) to bring structure to the images.
The New Topographic movement was about redefining what a “landscape” could be not majestic or wild, but quiet, man-made, and often overlooked. I wanted to take that idea and apply it to a familiar environment like Highlands.
This also ties into the “Typologies” idea organising images based on repeated subjects or architectural similarities, as the Bechers did with water towers and factories.