Environment

Concept

My  idea was to look at the idea of mans intervention on land. Looking at constructional work that is always going on especially as I am from London I see this on a greater scale. I wanted to look at areas of Land closer to home, I have decided to go home and photograph this forested area which has been intervened by man the use of steel metal fences and swings for children to play on and the maintaining of the land itself. 

      

Influences

Edward Burtynsky

Edward Burtynsky is a Canadian Photographer who works with Large Format Photography. Burtynsky looks at the manufactured Landscape. He creates images that will go through the whole life cycle for example his process of oil he starts photographing from the rig Image one to the oil in pumps in petroleum stations. I am really fond of his way of creating photography and the way he represents landscape. I feel his work particularly shows true human intervention on the landscape and how much land space we use up to produce oil.


Joe Deal 

Joe Deal was an American Photographer specialising is depicting how the landscape was transformed by people. I feel that Photograph two portrays his specialism perfectly this idea of human intervention on land. I feel this image portrays what you think of the deep American south and how they live in the middle of know where nothing for miles. Looking at the image in the 21st century gives the viewer and different feeling than when it was created in the 1970s. The feel you receive from this image is a Ariel view due to the use of black and white photography even though this was all what was available at the time.

Stephen Shore

Stephen Shore is an American Photographer he took his photographs whilst on a road trip. These two photographs are my favourite out of Shore's work I like how different they are but both represent this idea of Human Intervention on the landscape. Photograph One gives this insight into a surreal moment it doesn't seem realistic. Shore has used an obvious way of representing the theme by photographing people surrounding this lake at a National Park. However I really like photograph two  like how he has photographed a petrol station for this theme as it portrays this idea of the Western Worlds love for oil.

Robert Adams

Robert Adams is a photographer that has influenced and inspired me to look into the subject of Our intervention onto the land. Adams is truly inspired by the F.64 group and particularly Ansel Adams which is notable in his landscapes through the use of forms in his images. I especially like image two I like that fact how different image this is and depicts the idea of human intervention on the land so easily and gives the viewer this idea of what where doing on our land building and re building homes and decreasing the idea of space.

Notes

Due to living at the moment in Maid stone I thought I would do some test shots of abandonment and below are some test shots.Looking at the Idea of mans intervention on the landscape. Will look at the idea of vast Intervention buildings combined with the traditional landscape. Building sites new life in progress. Small scale Intervention like the work of Jem Southam ' Rockfalls River Mounts and Ponds' not notable intervention by man. looking at maps where and how much land is in use in the Medway area. Experimenting with digital and medium format final image will be medium format. Final 3 images will portray this idea of different landscapes in the Medway Kent area and how different intervention has caused different problems to the land.

Test Shot Photographs - Maidstone

These three images are from my first idea of looking at human intervention on the landscape. Image One's photographic settings are an Aperture of f.32 the film speed is ISO 100 and the shutter speed was 0.6th of a second. Even though I am incredibly found of photographic one I feel that it doesn't portray what I am trying to get across this idea of Human Intervention due to boating the effect it has on the water. 

Image three is the correct photographic settings I was looking for in order for the whole image to be correctly exposed I used an Aperture of f.13. 

Even though these photographs do not portray this idea of Human Intervention I still thought it was important for you to see my photographs and the development throughout this project.

Test Shots - Dulwich

These four photographs were captured in my home town of Dulwich.  I used long exposure with flash photography I wanted to capture the idea of human intervention through the use of fences. The use of the bright lights really emphasises this idea of human intervention which works effectively on this set of photographs.

Tutorial Notes 
After my tutorial on Wednesday the 26.10.11 I found that my images of Abandonment and human Intervention were not represented or photographed correctly to portray this idea. Due to photographing greenery found in London for my original idea my tutor showed me the works of Eva Strenram where she photographed  greenery found in central London and have now diverted away from the idea of Abandonment and Human Intervention and I am now looking at Nature in the City and how it has become ordered and has to look a certain way in parts of the city centre of London.


Influences




Eva Strenram 

 I am especially fond of Strenham's work, I like how she has included an artificial feel to her work. It makes us the viewer want to know why are the animals included in this imagery are they  being used as a metaphor a way of portraying to the viewer the sense of lifestyle the people of this community live like. I have decided that I want to look into the idea of nature in the city and small communal gardens and what it reveals about that community of people.  

Andreas Gursky 

 Gursky's images look closely at the man made and nature surrounding it. I especially like image one and the narrative which is portrayed in the imagery. These images show the input that human intervention does to land and what we do to be entertained. I like the fact that Gursky has included the trees surrounding the swimming pools it gives us the viewer an insight into the location where these people are it feels as if there in the middle of nowhere only if you know about the location are you told about the fun filled swimming pools which exist.

Test Shots: Chelsea Gardens 

I decided to start this section of the project by starting to take digital photographs to indicate if this is the area of city nature I want to look at and portray to the viewer in this setting or something less obvious when related to city nature. I especially like photograph two I like how the trees replicate the alinement's of the housing this image shows how controlled the nature is in the city when found in wealthy areas such as Chelsea everything has to look perfect to represent the wealth of that area.

Joel Sternfield 

Sternfield's work really fascinates me and how he has been able to find so much nature in the city of New York. Sternfield was able to find an old train line which is now out of use and photograph what it looks like now even though cities are controlled and have to look a certain way this shows that nature still exists in cities.   The use of the buildings surrounding the rail line lets us the viewer understand that we are situated in the city which allows the viewer to understand the narrative that Sternfield is trying to reveal.   

Martin Parr

I wanted to move this project further and move away from Nature in the City and move onto Nature in the suburbs of London as humane outside of London do not believe London has nature in their community which I however disagree with coming from London. We have small gardens, allotments national parks and other forms of nature. I especially liked Martin Parr's work of Prefabs I liked the look of the traditional middle class family portrayed  in this image I like how controlled the garden is revealed in this image. 

John Davies

Looking at Davies's work is very different to looking at Parrs work of nature in the suburbs. I feel this above image portrays suburbs nature perfectly.  The use of black and white photography works perfectly for this image the use of colour would have just distracted the viewer.  The nature in this photograph gives us the viewer an insight into how much nature there is around us in the suburbs.

Test Shots - Allotments 

The above photographs are test shots towards the idea of looking at nature in the city and allotments is a source of nature you find a lot of. My photographs represent controlled gardening found in the city of London these images may not portray London as a busy city but show the amount of land found. I am especially fond of image five I like how the gardening portrays a vast amount of order and hoe controlled nature is in the city you don't have the freedom of nature in rural areas. 

Stephen Shore 

This image by Shore replicates the style of photography I would like to create for this project I want the viewer to understand the narrative I'm trying to tell but I also don't want it to be so obvious that the work doesn't seem interesting to the viewer. I like how the use of the gate interprets to the viewer that we are located in suburbia. The use of the gate doesn't stop us from entering the photographic space but allows us the viewer to understand the photographic story Shore was trying to portray. 

Mitch Epstein 

Epstein in this image may be looking at global warming and how it is situated in our back garden, but I am looking at the nature found in this image and how he has constructed the nature in this imagery.  I like how Epstein has created these small controlled gardens for each house which feels like something you would find in London or the view of inner city homes belonging to small pieces of Land no room to breath. 

Larry Sultan 

Sultan takes a very unique approach to looking at the idea of garden photography.  He look at the traditional idea of a garden and the home embedding it which makes it  feel like the garden was constructed around the structure of the house. The use of the man at the window makes one understand the family life surrounding the garden and the suburbia style of life it puts a face to the creation of the garden.

Final Images 

For my final three photographs representing the idea of controlled nature I wanted to show it through my eyes from growing up in the city of London. I wanted to show the controlled nature through the use of allotments and controlled land surrounding homes found in the suburbs.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

The Environment - The City

Concept


My idea is surrounding the theme of Outer City living also known as Suburbia. Due to coming from London I have lived my whole life in Suburbia so I thought it would be a great idea to peruse from a personal thought.  I have a keen interest in architecture so I decided I would look at the structure of houses to create this project looking at the features of houses which prevails suburbia.





Influences 


Bill Owens

I have commenced this project by starting to look at the works of Owens. The use of this photographic viewpoint allows one to gain a clear perspective and understanding of  Suburbia. I especially am keen of image two I like how the images demonstrates the vast amount of housing which creates this idea of outer city housing and the life that embeds that style of living. The use of controlled space that these people are allowed to converge with is represented through the use of green space surrounding the housing is replicated again and again.

This style of photography is the sort of imagery you think of when relating to the idea surrounding suburbia. The use of limited green space and houses being extended into the background for miles it all seems controlled like there's no freedom in this lifestyle this style of humane leads. 

Todd Hido

 

Hido is a photographer I stumbled across when looking through the Internet at photographers who create work based upon the theme of Suburbia. I liked the idea of the use of lights being turned on in the image and the soft but very bold colours and the narrative that these colours portray to the viewer. I am particularly fond of image two I feel it portrays the idea of suburbia stronger than  image one. The use of the telephone cables  running through the street gives the viewer an insight into the semiotics which allows us to understand the narrative Hido is trying to portray. The application of the lights being turned on allows the viewer to identify that people actually do live her due to the non existence  of cars on the streets this would however confuse the viewer as if this location has been evacuated

Gregory Crewsdon 

I admire the way in which Crewsdon creates and styles his work the use of theatrical lighting gives us an insight into the type of narrative he wants the viewer to portray. Even though image one gives us a clearer insight into Suburbia life am I keen of Image two more. The use of the street lights and local shops gives the viewer a sense of a town outside of the big city, due to there being only one car in motion it shows us that this is a small non existent town. 

I feel these images show Suburbia life of the USA through the use of small shops and a lot of snow and the style of photography use to create this narrative the design of the housing also makes one be more inclined to think these photographs were situated in the USA.

Tom Hunter 

Hunter portrays Suburbia perfectly in this image. Image two shows iconic housing of outer city London. This photograph seems very staged the amount of lights turned on in the image and the darkness found surrounding  the housing seems very artificial. There is no people present but the doors are open in the middle of night with the majority of all lights on its as if there is no one present in this community of housing as if the community has been evacuated.



James Casabere 

Casabere clearly demonstrates the idea of a perfect American community. Image one portrays suburbia through the use of man made models. The use of low key lighting found in image one suggests the idea of street lighting which is found in Suburbia the use of attached housing and replicated housing portrays this idea of replicated living everybody lives equally the same.

Joel Sternfield

Sternfield gives the viewer an insight into the style of Suburbia living this image portrays replicated living which is found in a lot of suburbia complexes they were built to do one job there is no character found in these buildings. They were built for young professionals the housing is used for a short time period. Every piece of this image is controlled the use of nature surrounding the housing the type of cars the photographer wants to portray a certain narrative to the viewer.




Test Shoot - Suburbia Living 

The above photographs are test shots of my own taken towards the theme of Suburbia for this section I wanted to reveal to the viewer that Suburban housing can have character in a modern way the use of iconic brick is still used but the housing in the majority of the time sits alone as if there is still no sense of community the people are isolated.  The use of no people being photographed portrays to the viewer that there is no sense of human intervention everybody is isolated something that I do not believe occurs in all Suburbia living due to my own experience from growing up in a Suburbia lifestyle. 

Film: Revolutionary Road 

Looking at how Suburbia is portrayed through the use of film. Seeing how the setting of a suburban lifestyle is portrayed which may help me to portray the narrative to the viewer. 

'Revolutionary Road' is a film set in Suburban Connecticut the dress style portrays the the 1950s- 60s. The imagery found in this film portrays the perfect suburban setting of America it shows the the iconic American housing with the use of controlled land surrounding the home for the children to play on the use of an iconic swing portrays to the viewer that children help to demonstrate the perfect suburban lifestyle which many people wanted back then. 

Film: Blue Velvet

The opening sequence found in the film 'Blue Velvet' portrays to the viewer a sense of a perfect lifestyle a perfect community. The opening of the film reveals symbols which are linked to Suburbia and the lifestyle which is created.  The opening imagery of the film reveals the year of the film the use of an old red fire engine which fireman waving to the children as they go past represents an era of the 60s. The use of perfectly grown red roses and the white iconic Pickett fence shows the viewer that this is what is expected for this community of housing every house looks the same in the neighbourhood. The opening sequence shows a man watering his perfectly green cut grass the imagery presents us with a hose that doesn't fit the piping this reveals a metaphor to the lifestyle he leads something is wrong in this perfect Suburban community. 

Test Shoot Roundabouts

I wanted to move on and look at other elements of society that shows Suburbia. I situated myself at Chatham Maritime for this section of photographs I wanted to see how nature revolves around the 

community and is shown in a very controlled way in this community from the nature found on the roundabouts to the green space of their front gardens. I decided to photograph roundabouts due to wanting to reveal to my viewer the variety of ways nature is shown in Suburbia. Even though I am not focusing on nature in this project the use of the controlled nature reveals something about the style of living which is found in this community of houses and the way they live. 

The doors of the world 

I am fond of the vast amount of different doors which are presented to the world to the reveal something about the identity of that building. My aim is to photograph front doors of an a range of buildings to see if it creates a narrative to me and portrays a story to what the meaning of that door represents to the viewer. 

Test Shoot Doors 

I have decided to do some test shots of doors found in an area of Suburban living and the narrative the doors reveals depending on the house it represents. The below image shows that it doesn't matter what the personality of house is everything is the same everything has to be the community of living is the same on the outside they have to to perceived in a certain way. 

Contact Sheets for Final Outcome

I completed two photo shoots using medium format colour film photography. I shot in two different locations the first location in East Dulwich, London and the second in Chatham Maritime. I wanted to focus on the idea of doors and what they portray to the viewer I feel doors represent the idea of the Suburban life depending on the door does it represent the lifestyle of the people inside. Below are my final images which I feel clearly demonstrate a show my development process of the City project they show a variety of doors found in Suburbia. 

Final Images