Introduction to William Klein

William Klein (April 19, 1926 – September 10, 2022) was an American-born French photographer and filmmaker noted for his ironic approach to both media and his extensive use of unusual photographic techniques in street photography. He enrolled at the City College of New York at the age of 14 to study sociology, later joining the U.S. Army during World War II and was stationed in Germany and later France, where he permanently settled after being discharged – later on, in 1957, he was awarded the Prix Nadar for New York, a book of photographs taken during a brief return to his hometown in 1954. Most well-known for his informal, up-close photographic style, he used techniques such as a slower shutter speed and high amounts of visual noise to give images an authentic feel. He is best known for his revolutionary street photography work, where he took pictures in a confrontational style, taking pictures of crowds or groups of people and presenting scenes as they were to him.

Observational vs Confrontational Style

Henri Cartier-Bresson can be described as a flâneur, an idle-man-about-town who strolls through cities and observes without interference. His photographic style was candid, a style where instead of setting up perfect scenes, shots and subjects he waits patiently for things to happen and presses the shutter when all the visual and compositional elements align perfectly to his standards (a term he nicknamed the decisive moment, best seen in the image ‘Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare‘). In contrast, William Klein wasn’t patient and instead was very confrontational, going up close to the scenes and taking snapshots. These often resulted in informal images where realities of scenes were shown since there was no setting up or waiting patiently for perfect moments, although sometimes Klein reports having luck and it being a matter of chance that he would occasionally capture extraordinary scenes (such as the image below, where Klein accidentally created a blur effect and found it so intriguing he then often began replicating this technique in future work).

Image Analysis 1 – Henri-Cartier Bresson (Observational)

Visual – The man is aligned on the right third, about to leave the frame, which creates a sense of movement in the image alongside the leading lines created by the fences horizontally following the man. Furthermore, there is clear depth and shape in the image as we can see reflections in the foreground, the man and muddle in the midground and the rest of the image in the background.

Technical – All aspects of the image are in clear detail, suggesting the use of a smaller aperture – the image is all in black and white, with a wide range of tones from lighter bleached out negative space in the sky to complete black in the man. A high ISO was likely also used, with visual noise present in the image, which when combined with the lack of colour creates a nostalgic and vintage look.

Contextual/Conceptual – This image perfectly encapsulates Henri Cartier-Bresson’s philosophy of the decisive moment, as if the shutter was pressed half a second earlier or later the outcome would’ve been completely different and the photo wouldn’t have been nearly as interesting as the man either would’ve likely left the frame or wouldn’t be mid-leap. This also ties into a key essence of his photography, patience, as Cartier-Bresson likely saw the scene about to unfold and waited perfectly for the compositional elements to align – he once wrote “I prowled the street all day, feeling very strung up and ready to pounce, determined to “trap” life, to preserve it in the act of living.“ which he shows perfectly in how he immortalised this small moment by turning it into an extraordinary and instantly recognisable photo.

Image Analysis 2 – William Klein (Confrontational)

Visual – The image is in black and white with a wide tonal range, ranging from lighter tones in the sky to midtones in the surrounding area and darker tones in the clothing of the children. Apart from that, there are no real intentional uses of visual/compositional elements, with the photo taking less of an artistic approach and more of a literal and objective scope, with a close-up style that noticeably differs from Cartier-Bresson’s.

Technical – There is a clear use of a slower shutter speed, seen clearly with the blurring of the car on the left but mainly on the two subjects where distortions in their face and hands can be seen due to movement. The image itself is also quite grainy (a theme consistent with all his imagery), which suggests use of a high ISO, again adding an authentic atmosphere to the image when combined with the lack of colour.

Contextual/Conceptual – When Klein took this image, he didn’t mean to have the two children be distorted and blurry, but since then it became one of his most iconic and recognisable photos due to that fact and Klein himself liked the effect so much that he began replicating it in later works. There is no real idea or meaning behind the photo itself as he didn’t want to present particular scenes as something they weren’t using visual and compositional techniques, waiting for the perfect moment, rather just opting take action to photograph scenes as they were to him, up close and personal (the key differentiating factor between his work and Cartier-Bresson’s).

Photographic Style Contrast Summary

Henri-Cartier Bresson

Key words:

Observational, candid, decisive moment, patience, flaneur, invisible, formal, poetic, single figures/couples.

Technical elements:

Natural lighting (daylight), smaller apertures (capture detail), fast shutter speeds, high ISO.

Visual elements:

Heavy focus on visual appeal through angles, perspectives and tone, as well as compositional perfection with techniques such as rule of thirds and often separating images into foreground, middle ground and background.

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William Klein

Key words:

Confrontational, interactive, close-up, action, informal, distortion, crowds/groups.

Technical elements:

Natural lighting (daylight), wider apertures (less focus on detail), slow shutter speeds, high ISO.

Visual elements:

Less focus on visual and compositional elements, opting to photograph scenes as they are to him rather than wait for all elements to align perfectly to create extraordinary outcomes.

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From these few images alone, the contrast between their two styles of photography is very apparent – overall, Cartier-Bresson focuses on distancing himself from the subject(s) and observation, whereas Klein is more close-up with his subjects and confrontational.

Henri Cartier-Bresson was a French artist and humanist photographer considered a master of candid photography, and an early user of 35mm film. He pioneered the genre of street photography, and viewed photography as capturing a decisive moment. In the 1970s he largely discontinued his photographic work, instead opting to paint.

The Decisive Moment

The ‘Decisive Moment’ refers to the timing, the composition, the totality of a picture, an ordinary moment transcribed as a complete statement; the moment the shutter is pressed.

Analysis

Form – The image has what seems to be a person running across a wet street, jumping over a puddle, with buildings and a man visible in the background (all in detail, suggesting a smaller aperture was used). There is clear use of the decisive moment here, as Henri Cartier-Bresson has chosen to take the picture right as the person running is about to exit the frame, perfectly capturing the decisive moment in photographic form. There is also a clear contrast in tones, as the person shown running across the image is completely black whereas the rest of the image has a variety of tones ranging from complete whites in the sky to greys throughout other aspects of the image, amplified by the lack of colour which draws out more attention to detail and the tonal range (linking to the depth which the image holds).

Composition – The photo has been taken at the perfect moment to capture the person right before they exit the frame, again linking to essence of movement as it is clear the person is going somewhere. Other aspects of the image are also all positioned more towards the top of the image rather than the centre, as the centre and bottom are mostly all just water showing reflections of the rest of the image which creates repetition and helps add form and shape to the image – furthermore, the rule of thirds horizontally perfectly splits the image into fore, mid, and background from bottom to top, enhanced by how the subject is positioned him on the right third (adding visual appeal) as well as showing clear movement with him being out of focus (in contrast to the stationary man in the background).

Conceptual, contextual; capturing the moment – The image perfectly depicts the concept of the decisive moment, as if the image was taken even a second too early or too late the person could’ve not been in frame at all, but the exact moment Cartier-Bresson chose to take the photo allows for essence of movement to be shown clearly as well as creating an effective composition, turning an ordinary scene into an extraordinary, interesting and everlasting image. This can be credited to Cartier-Bresson’s choice of camera, the Leica rangefinder, since it’s portable, quick and discreet nature helps capture more candid and natural photos which may not have been possible with other cameras which may have required lots of tweaking/set-up, risking missing the decisive moment.

Why is a camera an extension of the eye?

The camera can freeze and capture a scene whereas the eye cannot. It can create a physical manifestation of a scene which otherwise would have been forgotten with all the things the average person sees on the daily (linking to street photography, creating intriguing and extraordinary images out of everyday ordinary scenes).

What is the physical pleasure in making photographs?

It immortalises memories which can then be looked back upon, creating emotional connections and pictures which hold significance rather than just being pieces of paper.

How can be photography be likened to hunting?

It can be likened in the sense that photographers wait patiently and search for the perfect shot, they ‘hunt’ for their desired scene.

What is Street Photography?

Originally linked to Paris and notable photographers like Henri Cartier-Bresson, Brassaï, and André Kertész, Street Photography gained recognition as a distinct genre in the early 1930s. Although there are earlier examples and some similarities with documentary and architectural photography, Street Photography stands out due to the photographer’s ability to capture the mystery and essence of daily life in the city.

Early History

Since the 1830s, people have been snapping photos in the streets, but it wasn’t until the 1920s that street photography really started to evolve in a modern sense. After World War I, life in the city sped up, and with the emergence of illustrated magazines and popular films, there was a strong urge to capture and reflect on fleeting moments. Street photography developed alongside new jobs in reporting and photojournalism. Quick snapshots, taken with fast shutter speeds, began appearing in newspapers and magazines to depict “history in the making.” However, cameras didn’t just document significant events—they also transformed everyday life into something special. A simple photograph could elevate an ordinary moment into art, revealing the beauty in things we often take for granted.

Quotes from Famous Street Photographers:

In his account of life in Berlin in the late 1930s, the novelist Christopher Isherwood wrote:

“I am a camera with its shutter open, quite passive, recording, not thinking. Recording the man shaving at the window opposite and the woman in the kimono washing her hair. Someday, all this will have to be developed, carefully printed, fixed.”

This quote perfectly captures the essence of street photography, being a documentary and objective style rather than a subjective one; it records moments literally as they are, rather than leaving elements to the imagination of the viewer(s), hence its popularity in newspapers.

Henri Cartier-Bresson also wrote of the camera as an extension of his eye. In this quote he talks about one of things he is most famous for, the creation of the idea of a ‘decisive moment’:

“I prowled the street all day, feeling very strung up and ready to pounce, determined to “trap” life, to preserve it in the act of living. Above all I craved to seize the whole essence, in the confines of one single photograph, of some situation that was in the process of unrolling itself before my eyes.”

Again, this quote describes the nature of street photography, leaning more towards a literal style and recording everyday moments as they are in the moment they happen – this was eventually what lead to Cartier-Bresson’s term, the ‘decisive moment’, in which the photo is taken at the exact moment all the elements of the image align perfectly to create an extraordinary and intriguing image out of an everyday scene (seen most obviously in his most famous image, ‘Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare’).

Contemporary Street Photography (iN-PUBLiC):

Street photography is a style of photography that has stood against the test of time and is still around in the modern age, with an example being iN-PUBLiC.

iN-PUBLiC describe themselves as loving to ‘feature the work of people who are taking candid public photography or perhaps street photography in a new and unique direction’, and was set up in 2000 to promote street photography itself and continue to explore its possibilities. Below are some of the images that feature on the front page of their website:

iN-PUBLiC was relaunched in 2020 with a renewed commitment to present the best photography from the public realm that faithfully records everyday life without staging or manipulation – highlighting how despite its origins going back to photographers from as early as the 1830s, this genre of photography and its unique objective style is still appreciated and beloved by many.

More Examples of Work From iN-PUBLiC Photographers:

I wanted my zine to have a very consistent style to correspond with the images themselves, as they follow a documentary-like style.

Initial Layout Plan

I wanted to have my first two pages of the zine be an image on the left with a caption, and then the opposing page have some context/information about the image as well as the intentions and thought process behind it.

I then wanted this to be follow by a singular image spread over two pages with no text, having purely visual storytelling rather than context/information to describe the scene.

Finally, I wanted a diptych of two similar images with titles in the corner as well as a background image as a border.

This would then repeat in order again one more time (image with caption, double page spread, diptych) before reaching the back page of the zine.

Image Selections

Single Images

For the images that would go alongside a page with context/information, I wanted to pick some of my better images to explain my intention and thought process behind them, as well as giving them an appropriate title.

For this image, I took it when I noticed how the light seems like a man-made infection into this natural landscape, almost claiming this scene as mankind’s rather than a romantic one, creating a disconnect between nature and man. When considering a title, I chose ‘Modern Romantic Landscape’ because I liked the irony and how it implies that romantic landscapes in the modern age aren’t natural at all and have human interference which completely takes away from the romanticism aspect.

This particular image I took because I liked how there is very little natural aspects in the bottom right corner, with the rest of the bottom half being crammed full in contrast to the top half which is purely sky and negative space apart from the tower. I saw the tower standing over the rest of the scene as a metaphor for mankind’s overshadowing and dominance over nature opposed to the connection they used to have before periods such as the industrial revolution – I chose to title the image ‘Overshadowed’.

Single Images + Context Drafts

Drafts for the pages which will have an image with context and information, alongside notes to help with writing the paragraph when it comes to making the zine.

Double Page Spreads

For these pages, I chose images where lots of detail and content is present that would look better displayed in landscape over two pages – I also thought it would be best to not have a caption or title for these images to have nothing else on the double page spread except for the image, so the two pages will look exactly as the images are presented below.

When presented in a two page spread, this image is very effective composition-wise since the first container completely fills out most of the first page in contrast to the second one where it is positioned perfectly in the middle but still has enough negative space to contrast it from the other half.

When presented in a two page spread, the first page has the gate and some details but is mostly composed of the negative space from the sky, whereas the second page has less negative space with more of the frame being filled by signs.

Diptych

For my diptychs, I wanted to pick two pictures which would go well together when presented together, as well as an appropriate image to have as the background.

These two pictures go alike in the sense they both feature containers/tanks as their main subjects, although they still are different enough for both of them to be interesting images on their own. The down-up perspective of the first image looking up to the tower has also been used on the second image, making the two images go with each other more.

These two pictures are more alike since they are both taken at the same deadpan angle and are both of storage containers – however, enough contrast is still present, mainly in the foreground where one image has purely negative space whereas the other has more clutter and objects.

Diptych Drafts

Drafts for the diptychs across two pages, the grey border will be replaced with an abstract, close-up New Topographics-style image and subtle black borders will be added to the image to bolden them.

Final Outcome in InDesign

After making initial layouts, selecting images and drafting designs, I started creating the zine in InDesign.

After experimenting with different fonts and colours, I settled on this one since I felt it was the most documentary-like one and fit most with my narrative and images, as well as white to make it bold and stand out from the image. The cover image was chosen since it perfectly summarises the intentions behind my photoshoot and zine, with lots of the frame being filled by tanks and containers and no natural elements being present.

Abstract image added to border the image itself rather than just one solid colour since I found it more visually appealing, as well as the finalised contextual paragraph and a title for the picture.

I really liked how this double page spread out since it looks exactly how I wanted it to, with one page being filled to the frame and the other having more negative space.

Another abstract image added as a background to fill the space rather than it just being one colour. I experimented with adding captions/titles to the images but liked the purely visual aesthetic without any text.

Second single image – title, background image + information/context added.

Second diptych – background image + surrounding borders to the images to make them bold and stand out.

Second double page spread.

Third and final single image, background image and context.

For my back cover, I originally wanted to use the double page spread image of the two containers and have the first half on the front cover and second half on the back cover, but decided against it because I thought the photo would look better in the zine itself. I settled on this design I made in Photoshop for the back cover, a joiner photo of two photos featured in the zine with the impression that they have been printed out and layered on top of each other – I like how this gives it an artificial look and it ties to the zine in the fact that the scene has been built by layering photos, similarly to how the whole area was built by hand from the ground up and in doing so took nature’s place.

Definition: a small-circulation self-published work of original or appropriated texts and images.

Inspirations from Other Students

I liked the simplicity of the cover, as well as the style of one page being a portrait with the other being text corresponding to the person, creating a documentary-like style.

I liked how the cover had no photos and was just text, and how the photos inside the zine were all consistent with the zine’s colour scheme and design.

I liked how the cover was two photos joined together to make one portrait, and how it compliments the style and intention of the rest of the zine.

Initial Design Ideas

Appearance

All images will be black and white and displayed in a very formal and consistent manner, since all images are taken in a documentary-like and sterile manner to fit with the New Topographics theme.

Format, Size + Orientation

All images will be of similar size and orientation to make them work well together as a group and help with the narrative behind the zine.

Narrative + Visual Concept

The collection of images in my zine is exploring the concept of industry and man-made landscapes, showing how Romanticism and nature have been disconnected from humans in a modern society where more and more is being built for the purpose of expansion.

Design and Layout

I will have a consistent design and layout throughout – the zine will feature an image with a caption and context describing the intention behind it, a double page spread of one image and then a diptych of two similar images.

Images and Text

I want to minimise the amount of text to keep my zine as being purely visual storytelling, although some images will have captions with a title and others will have a small paragraph on the opposing page with context and thoughts behind the image.

Title and Captions

My zine will feature a title on the front page, and a few captions along some of the more significant images in the zine.

For my typologies photoshoot, I wanted to create a typology with a focus on the New Topographics.

Contact Sheet

Selection Process

Best Photos

I picked images which were all similar so they would look well when presented as a group. I aimed for pictures which were objective and documentary-like rather than subjective images.

Initial Presentation Ideas

Each image works well with one another as they are all different German bunkers/architecture leftover from WW2, however the sky and sea in some of them are taking away from the objective feel that I was going for so I will likely turn these parts into negative space in editing.

Each image works well as one group since they each feature lots of signage and industrial architecture, which creates an uneasy/restricted environment as well as clearly contrasting with romanticism (reinforcing them as New Topographics style images). However, the sky again adds more of a subjective element to each image which takes away from my intentions so I will make the sky more of a negative space when editing to elaborate on the sense of objectiveness.

Editing

Each image will be in a 1×1 square resolution as well as being black and white (similar to work like ‘Pitheads’ from Hilla and Bernd Becher).

Final Presentation

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Virtual Gallery

Evaluation + Comparison Against Artist Reference

Overall, I think I managed to take a set of effective images and present them in two different typologies where both of them have different themes and different sets of images.

My New Topographics Typology vs Pitheads by Hilla and Bernd Becher

My typology contains 4 images of different scenes in and around La Collete and all of them group together effectively – however, I think ‘Pitheads’ is better visually and conceptually since visually all images have been taken of the exact thing at the same deadpan angle which makes each individual image more significant when presented as a group, in contrast to mine where each image is a completely different scene and so they would work well on their own rather than displayed together.

Contact Sheet

I went to the recycling centre near Fort Regent for my photoshoot, taking pictures of the industrial area and buildings.

Best Photos

I found this image to be successful since it clearly has aspects of the New Topographics with the industrial buildings, signs and cars which overpower the landscape in the top right and stand out more.

I find the tower really effective in this image since it towers over everything and becomes a clear focal point of the image, whilst still maintaining aspects of the New Topographics with the industrial buildings and cars closer to the foreground.

For this image, I focused on angle and perspective, trying to make the building’s stature seem as big and menacing as possible. I took this photo from the ground up, and found that I managed to capture this initial idea I had really well.

I focused on rule of thirds with this image, positioning the sign on the second third. The sign which reads ‘town centre’ creates a nice contrast with the industrial buildings in the background, as well as the arrow and leading lines from the sign almost implying to the viewer to get out of the area.

The seemingly dying grass in the foreground contrasts really nicely and effectively with the fence and the industrial buildings, linking the themes of the New Topographics and creating a clear divide between nature and humans.

Similarly to the previous picture, the divisions created between nature and man with the fences and no entry signs link to themes of the New Topographics.

These 3 images will all go altogether in a triptych, since they were each taken of the same area. They all are also really objective and sterile, which groups them together even more.

Editing

Most of my editing will be experimenting with black and white, since the New Topographics photographers typically presented their work this way. I aim to make use of Ansel Adams’ zone system when editing images to be black and white, featuring a wide range of tones from light to dark.

Image 1

Light tones in the cars and road, midtones in the sky, darker tones in the signs and mountains.

Image 2

Light tones in the cars, midtones in the road and darker tones in the sky and tower. Focus is brought onto the tower, which when combined with it towering over other elements of the image creates a greater sense of intimidation.

Image 3

Light tones in the fence, midtones in the buildings and dark tones in the sky. The darker sky also contrasts with the lighter buildings and creates drama.

Image 4

Lighter tones in the road, midtones in the building and sky and darker tones in the sky.

Image 5

Lighter tones in the grass and industrial area, midtones in the grass and darker tones in the sky. The darker sky also helps to create more drama and add to the mood of the image.

Image 6

Light tones in the building, midtones in the road, dark tones in the sky and grass.

Image 7

Light tones in the sky, midtones in the buildings and darker tones in the road.

Image 8

Light tones in the sky, midtones in the background buildings and darker tones in the scaffolding.

Image 9

Light tones in the sky, midtones in the tower and darker tones in the buildings.

Initial Presentation Ideas

Diptychs:

Triptychs:

I also wanted to experiment with presenting my images in typologies, so I cropped them in a 1×1 resolution (square).

Presentation in ArtSteps

Diptych:

Triptych:

Typology:

Comparison/Critique vs Artist References

Overall, I think my images were able to replicate the Bechers’ styles somewhat successfully, although my images are from a wide range of different angles and perspectives rather than all being shot dead-on at the exact same angle, which adds more drama and atmosphere to each individual image compared to typical work of New Topographics photographers.

Both images have similarities in the sense that there is minimal nature present, but the main focus is still on New Topographics which creates a divide between nature and humanity (for my image there is grass visible which is cut off from the industrial area by fences, and in Adams’ picture there are mountains visible in the background). However, the main difference comes from Adams’ sky being used as negative space in contrast to the sky in my image being dark and having clouds, which again creates drama and takes away from the focus on New Topographics.

What is it?

A typology can be defined as a study of “types”. That is a photographic series that prioritizes collecting and showcasing images in groups or sets rather than stand-alone images.

Case Study – Bernd and Hilla Becher

Bernhard “Bernd” Becher and Hilla Becher were German conceptual artists and photographers working as a collaborative duo. They are best known for their extensive series of photographic images, or typologies, of industrial buildings and structures, often organised in grids. As the founders of what has come to be known as the ‘Becher school’ or the Düsseldorf School of Photography, they influenced generations of documentary photographers and artists in Germany and abroad. They were awarded the Erasmus Prize in 2002 and the Hasselblad Award in 2004.

Image Analysis

Technical – All pictures in the typology were taken outside meaning the lighting is likely 100% natural, with detail visible throughout the image meaning aperture was likely high in order to have a deep depth of field. Little to none visual noise is present in any of the images, so ISO was kept to a minimum with a value likely between 100-200.

Visual – Each image is capturing some sort of machinery, presumably an oil well. Each picture has been taken from the same perspective creating an obvious similarity between them all, whilst still maintaining contrast since the background and environment around the oil wells are different in each photo. Some photos in the typology feature minimal natural elements (e.g. grass), although the frame is still largely dominated by the oil well so there is very little focus paid to natural landscapes in these images.

Conceptual/Contextual – Bernhard Becher gave up making paintings, drawings and etchings of old industrial buildings because he had decided that photography met his needs better. Painting necessitated composition which involved changing the object and was too subjective; photography was more precise and objective, being able to clearly capture and present exactly what is happening in a scene. The pictures in the typology leave little to nothing up to the imagination of the viewer, simply being 9 different oil wells occupying spaces, almost as if they are invading the natural landscapes.

What is it?

New topographics was a term made 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 were the new topographics a reaction to?

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

Case Study – Robert Adams

Robert Adams, born in 1937, is a prominent American photographer renowned for his exploration of the evolving landscapes of the American West. His work gained significant recognition in the mid-1970s, particularly with the publication of his book, The New West, in 1974, and his involvement in the 1975 exhibition titled New Topographics: Photographs of a Man-Altered Landscape. Throughout his career, Adams has been awarded with two Guggenheim Fellowships, a MacArthur Fellowship, the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize, and the Hasselblad Award.

Critic Sean O’Hagan, writing in The Guardian about Adams’ work, said “his subject has been the American west: its vastness, its sparse beauty and its ecological fragility. [. . .] What he has photographed constantly – in varying shades of grey – is what has been lost and what remains” and that “his work’s other great subtext” is silence.

Image Analysis

Technical – The picture shows a gas station on the frontier, presumably at darker hours which means the lighting for the image is coming mostly from the manmade lamps that are visible. All details in the foreground are clear and visible, meaning a high aperture value and deep depth of field were likely used – furthermore, there is little to none visual noise meaning ISO was kept to a minimal value such as 100.

Visual – The picture is completely lacking in colour being in black and white, which helps add to the bleakness of the image due to the gas station almost having invaded the landscape. There is also a clear contrast in light and dark tones, with the station in the foreground having more of an emphasis on lighter tones with the mountains in the background not being illuminated and therefore being darker. There is also a sense of depth and three dimensions with how the station has been positioned in the image, helping to create a sense of drama.

Contextual/Conceptual – Adams was part of The New Topograhics with a focus on manmade landscapes and their effect on natural ones, hence why the image focuses on a station which is taking away the focus and attention from the mountains placed farther away in the background.

Stephen Shore

Key features:

• 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

Image analysis:

Technical – The image features natural light, likely taken in the most prominent hours of sunshine (~12pm) which casts distinct, hard-edged shadows on the pavement. It is also likely a high aperture was used since there is clear detail in all aspects of the image, even the mountains in the distance to an extent.

Visual – There is some alignment to the rule of thirds which the lamp posts, but the main visual feature of this image is the fact that most of the detail is cluttered in the bottom third with the two top thirds of the image being almost empty except from the sky and gas station sky, which when combined with the lines leading towards the mountains creates a contrast between this suburban area and the natural landscape off in the distance.

Contextual/Conceptual – The image features predominantly the colours red white and blue, linking to the American flag which when considering the lines pointing off towards the horizon creates links towards American pride for their landscapes.

Examples in Jersey

Recycling Plant – Fort Regent

Around this area there is plenty of natural landscape (e.g. Havre des Pas), allowing for images capturing both man-made and natural landscapes for contrast.

Car Parks

Car parks are fully man-made and create a bleak atmosphere, containing mostly artificial lighting and the lack of people also adds to the uncomfortable mood.

Tunnels

The lights along the top of tunnels create leading lines which direct attention towards the end of the tunnel, creating immersive images with a dramatic atmosphere.

For this photoshoot, I took pictures around Havre Des Pas and the industrial recycling area with a focus on panoramas and joiners.

Contact Sheet

Selection Process

After importing my images, I selected my images to be used for panoramas (yellow), joiners (purple), and other images I liked (green).

Editing

Panoramas:

To create my panoramic images, I merged a series of image taken back-to-back of a landscape into one singular wide image using Lightroom.

This blends all 7 images together, creating a wide panoramic shot of the left side of Havre Des Pas. I found it effective since the left side captures some buildings in the distance as well as the beach, which contrasts nicely with the right side being mostly the sea.

Making it black and white I can see there is visibly a lack of contrast between light and dark tones, with most of the image being the same grey colour.

I decreased the blacks and increased whites and contrast, noticeably creating more contrast between the lighter tones in the sky, midtones in the sea and darker tones in the buildings and rocks.

I find this image effective with how much of it is taken up by the sky and the sea, creating a clear contrast with the rocks and buildings visible in the distance on the left as well as the rocks on the right.

Making the images black and white shows the contrast between light and dark tones, although the contrast isn’t very obvious between the sea and the sky which takes away from the drama of the photos.

Increasing highlights and decreasing shadows, allowing for the sea to contrast more with the sky and creating a sense of drama with the darkened landscape.

Joiners:

To create my joiners, I took multiple images of one landscape at different angles and merged them together in Photoshop before editing them further.

This was the initial result after merging the photos, blending all photos taken into one collage-like image.

This was the final result after applying effects to each image, adding a slight white stroke around each image and a drop shadow to create the impression each picture was printed out and stacked on top of one another to create the collage.

The resultant collage after merging all photos, I adjusted some settings on each one individually to create slight contrast between each one and add a weathered effect to them.

Added the same effects, as well as adjusting opacity and other settings to enhance the weathered effect.

Other photos:

I really liked the composition of this image with the natural rocks in the foreground contrasting with the two buildings positioned on the two thirds in the distance with negative space in the sky, so I wanted to try experimenting with creating tone contrast by making it black and white.

The result after making it black and white, the rocks and landscape around the two buildings are too similar in tone so I will make further adjustments to try have a full range of tones (similar to the zone system).

Final result – decreased highlights and whites, increased exposure and contrast bringing out more contrast. Light tones at the bottom of the horizon, midtones in the sea and darker tones in the rocks/landscape in the background.

Experimenting with composition, cropping to keep the bottom half of the image focusing on natural landscape (rocks, sea) and the top half focusing on man-made buildings which contrast nicely with the sky’s negative space.

I really like the composition of this image since it clearly contrasts natural landscapes vs man-made and it almost seems like the man-made aspects are invading the natural ones, seen with the car out of its usual place parked on the beach and the tower sprouting of the trees creating a clash between these two elements.

Experimenting with black and white, and I like the drama created although I noticed there is little use of the zone system since there is very little dark tones.

Darkening the sky and rocks at the bottom by decreasing exposure and increasing clarity, enhancing contrast between light and dark tones. Lighter tones can be seen in the sand and car, midtones in the sky and tower and dark tones in the trees and rocks.

This image is inspired by the New Topographics, featuring no natural landscape and instead focusing on man-made objects. I like how there is plenty of straight lines in the image (e.g. paint on the floor, scaffolding, fences) since it clearly shows how most of the image is man-made.

Experimenting with black and white in the style of the New Topographics.

Enhancing contrast and increasing drama by adjusting clarity, exposure and contrast as well as removing the van since it stuck out noticeably compared to the rest of the image. Final result creates a gloomy atmosphere whilst maintaining an effective range of dark and light tones.

Final Images

Panoramas:

Joiners:

Other:

Presentation in ArtSteps