5. Landscape - Styles and themes
Project 36: Defining a style
From the course material: "... it is not likely that you will develop your own distinctive style". It hasn't been so easy or inspiring to do a course like this, as it's presumed that the student wont develop a personal style. It's only in this chapter we start to move towards a personal style, which is more interesting in my opinion.
In this project we should look at 3-4 landscape photographers and write a short text about each. I have chosen the photographers below, due to their unconventional view on landscape photography, to show that it doesn't need to be sunsets and silky water.
John Pfahl
Pfahl creates images based on altered landscapes. He adds something (alters) to convey his way of seeing. The photographic technique is less important the technique to add objects to the view. The images are not based on hanging around for the right moment, such as specific lights situation. The view is however nature, as adding objects to already man-made landscape might not have as much impact. It seems like he wants to make people think and look at the landscape in a new manner. He uses colour, but seems to be a little desaturated. More images here.
In this project we should look at 3-4 landscape photographers and write a short text about each. I have chosen the photographers below, due to their unconventional view on landscape photography, to show that it doesn't need to be sunsets and silky water.
John Pfahl
Pfahl creates images based on altered landscapes. He adds something (alters) to convey his way of seeing. The photographic technique is less important the technique to add objects to the view. The images are not based on hanging around for the right moment, such as specific lights situation. The view is however nature, as adding objects to already man-made landscape might not have as much impact. It seems like he wants to make people think and look at the landscape in a new manner. He uses colour, but seems to be a little desaturated. More images here.
Richard Misrach
Born 1949, has been called one of the most influential photographers of his generation. Pioneered the use of colour landscape photography and large format presentation. His work often deals with place and man’s complex relationship. The examples below are from his Golden Gate Bridge series, where he has captured the same view during different light situations. The result are very different looking images, where the light and colour are the main ingredients. In an interview he says: “I pay attention to the frame, to the light, etc. I've always felt that the best of my pictures function in a way that historical painting used to."
Faye Godwin
Faye Godwin was one of the suggested photographers for assignment 4, and because I didn't choose her, I think I should still look into her photography. She is known for her black-and-white landscapes of the British countryside and coast. Her early photography dealt with ecological crisis in the landscape, and later turned into close-ups of natural forms. A lot of her images are unassumming views of a rural landscape, with more emphasis on the view rather than a specific light or time of the day. The close-ups are quite intro-spective and poetic. The black and white emphasies the graphic shapes in the image as below.
Sally Mann
Sally Mann photographs landscapes on wet plate collodion 8x10 glass negatives. The outcome is obviously black and white and adds some mystery to the images. New York Times described this as “a swirling, ethereal image with a center of preternatural clarity".
Project 37: Ways of dramatising a landscape
The course material talks about two ends of the landscape photography spectrum. At one end: hanging around waiting for a specific kind of lighting which may only occur rarely. This makes me nervous and doesn't interest me too much.
At the other end: a more subtle and quiet kind of photography, not dependent on a split second of the right lighting circumstance. I image Robert Adams would be at this end of the spectrum. I'm also more into the latter type, but with something extra to express my view or personality.
But if you want to dramatise the landscape, what kind of approaches could be used?
A few examples below, from my own material:
At the other end: a more subtle and quiet kind of photography, not dependent on a split second of the right lighting circumstance. I image Robert Adams would be at this end of the spectrum. I'm also more into the latter type, but with something extra to express my view or personality.
But if you want to dramatise the landscape, what kind of approaches could be used?
A few examples below, from my own material:
Project 38: Burning the sky
In this version I rescued the highlights in the Raw conversion. I think this gives a more natural look, than the burn tool in the image above. I understand the burn tool comes from film photography, but when using digital I really think rescue highlights in Raw is the way to go. Or use a filter, or combine two images with different exposures.
Project 41: Grain
Grain is a by-product but can be used as a conscious effect for the image. This would be most appearent in black and white images. In modern digital cameras the ISO can be pushed up to 3200 ISO without too much grain to be noticed. So I will add grain in post processing.
An example below from Bill Brandt, showing how grain can be used to create grittiness. It make the house look quite desolate and isolated.
An example below from Bill Brandt, showing how grain can be used to create grittiness. It make the house look quite desolate and isolated.
Project 42: Man-made landscapes
Let's not kid ourselves - most of the land we see around is by now man made. Fields, roads, open spaces are created by humans. I have throughout this course been drawn more towards "man-made landscapes".
Assignment 5: In the style of an influential photographer
Inspired by Robert Adams. The assignment report is with my tutor.
Tutor's comments
This assignment seems to have been quite well received by my tutor. She didn't suggest changes or replacements. It was also mentioned that "the bleak scenes speak well without the need for added commentary" and that the notion of future was not particularly necessary. That's OK for the viewer to perceive, but to me the notion of future around the corner is quite pivitol, as this is a recurrent theme in the background references I mention in the assignment report, such as Ballard and post-punk electronic music. But it is good and interesting that different viewers perceive different ideas from the same images. Time to wrap up the course.