Edward Burtynsky

Edward Burtynsky is a photographer that seems to find the most unusual views of nature and manmade buildings. He likes the way the way mankind has changed  the earth to crete a contemporary view of the world.

For me the narrative through Burtynsky's work is heavily based upon the beauty in the destruction of our planet. <3

Landscape Evaluation.

So after many ups and downs throughout this project, I have finally brought it to an end. I'm fairly happy with my prints but I like to think that there's always room for improvement. My big mistake, leaving my finished prints in the cleaning bath and leaving them for Two days was pretty monumental but it gave me the opportunity to look back at what I'd done so far. Until this point I had cropped all of my images to a nondescript ratio. In a tutorial session with one of my tutors, we spoke about crop ratio and how my previous photographs didn't show the format of Camera I was taking my pictures on. With this in mind a creative choice was made to crop all of my photographs to 10x8.

My Learning Outcomes were to:

'Describe, explain and use key elements of knowledge and key concepts of landscape photography.'

I did this by researching Landscape photographers and how they stretch the boundaries of Landscape Photography.

'Recognise the changing nature of knowledge and concepts related to landscape photography in order to analyse the quality of your own work''

I have addressed this by making the choice of my crop size of my images. Although not a widely used size anymore, due to the progressive take over by digital photography. Myself and I'm sure other critiques would be able to realise the equipment used and also the creative choice.

'Apply a range of practical and technical skills to the production of landscape photographs.'

I have satisfied this learning outcome by using filters to manipulate the tonal range of my photographs and in the process of doing so, I have also used 'Split Grade Printing' which is a new tool I have picked up throughout my research and my trials and errors.

'Take responsibility for organising and managing the production of your work in the context of the set assignment brief.'

I suppose this being the easier of the learning outcomes because it would not be possible to have created my twelve exposed negatives and the final Five prints. I believe this is also covered by the photographs being individually labeled, in selves and in a labeled presentation box.

Would I have done anything different given the same project again? Absolutely. Not because I feel I have failed in any way for this assignment but I would like to look at another style of landscape photography. It's not one of my favourite genres but by no means does that mean I dislike it in anyway. Given more time and a free reign of where I could take the pictures I would like to venture into a city and explore the possibilities it holds.

I have taken a lot from this assignment, not only my new found darkroom techniques but also the way the Field Camera has slowed me down to take my shot. I am even considering starting to use my DSLR upside down to create a similar effect on my concentration.

Which and why?

So the big decision. Which set to use?

Even though I really liked the idea of viewing the world as the roundabout see's it. I feel the view from the church offers a lot more.

 I like the way something man made can be a landscape but when we climb on these man made objects they give us a new perspective of the world. From being stood on the floor, we're far smaller than the buildings so we can't see over them. As soon as we get higher than them our view turns almost infinite. This composition could be compared to the wad Andreas Gursky chooses to take a high ground and miniaturise larger objects. Also considering "Nature transformed by industry" a quote by Edward Burtynsky that explains how a manmade building creates a "contemporary view of the great ages of man."

I've made a creative decision after much head scratching and trying crop styles to stick with the 5x4 ratio and print my images at 10x8. This not only gives the image a nice thick border on the 12x16 paper but it also shows the type of Camera and film size I have used.

Here they are.

So here are my negatives. I've inverted them in Photoshop so it's a bit easier to work out what they are.

All photos taken have their own little imperfections. OK there's the one in the last set which is just full on broken but there's a perfectly good reason for that - My stupidity!!

It was the first shot taken on the day and with me being so new to using the Camera I got a little mixed up with which button did what. So yea, I opened the shutter and left the film exposed. If you look really hard at it though, you can kind of see a fingerprint which looks a little spectacular.

Catch up.

So I've missed the first week of this assignment due to a short break down south but I'm back and ready to see how this all works.
While I've been away I have been reading 'Michael Langford Basic Photography'. I was told by a tutor that chapter 10 would be a good aid to help my knowledge when shooting with the 5x4. Chapter 10 is based on 'Exposure Measurement'. Sounds quite simple I'm sure you're thinking but without the little digital light meter in the bottom of the viewfinder, you start to get a little panic on. The Book explains what differences your Fstop, Film Speer and Shutter Speed can potentially make to your final image. Although this was something I researched quite a while ago I thought it a good idea to give myself a re-fresh, just incas. I'd got a bit rusty

http://www.microglobe.co.uk/images/sekonic-digicinemate-l-308dc-light-meter_1.jpg

The Camera its self was quite easy to work out once I'd got my head around the basic setting up procedure. Like a 35mm Camera it's Photograph at it's most basic. It doesn't have an options menu that takes years to work your way through. This leaves the creativity, beauty and potential mistakes up to the person taking the photographs.

So It was time for me to load up a Dark-slide and take it for a whirl. Here's my first Two Negatives (inverted in Photoshop)

It was raining pretty bad outside so my creativity was bound by the safety of the canopy of the College.

Before anyone comments, yes that Lamp post is bent and it's not my dodgy photography!! 

What did I learn from taking these Two photos? 5x4 Camera aren't an easy piece of kit to carry about. Although I do like how personal everything feels while the cloak is over you. It's just you and the little picture on the glass pane of glass.

My Idea's

So a Landscape is usually seen as a scene containing grassy hills and fluff white clouds in a bright blue sky. Lets be honest though, this may be a day to day view in the south of France but England hasn't got that level of consistency it the weather.
At the moment it's really thick Fog so I'd quite like to take advantage of that in my photographs.

So my Two ideas that I'm toying with are taking Andreas Gursky's view on Landscape and use man made buildings and human involvement to create my photographs.

So, my Two ideas:

1. I'd like to take a Photo of a Roundabout from a pavement and then 4 other photos from the centre, all from different directions. I'd like to do this to show how the Roundabout  see's us and it's surroundings rather than how we usually view it. Although this sounds a very simple idea, I'd say it's a pretty safe bet that not a lot of people walk on to a Roundabout to see what it looks like the other way Ie. Looking out.

2. I'm captivated by Gursky's use of height to change perspective of how we see the world. With this in mind I decided to find the tallest building in Hartlepool, that I could legally climb and where it was possible to set up and shoot the 5x4 Field Camera. The church in Church Square (right outside CCAD) seemed a perfect viewing ground for my potential series of Photographs.

I will take pictures for both of these ideas and decide which I feel make the better set to print.

Ian McDonald

I'd previously seen some of Ian's work in a gallery I went to in Whitby called The Art Cafe (http://www.theartcafe.org) When I was told he was going to be one of our visiting lecturers I was obviously quite excited to meet him in person and find out a little more about what makes him tick.

The work of his that was on display at the gallery was of South Bank in Middlesbrough. This was an interesting exhibition for me because my Mother's side of the family originally came from there and it's changed quite a lot since. Although how I was looking at the pictures was possibly not the intended, the photographs had a huge meaning to me. He frequently takes pictures at Redcar's South Gare which is a place I visit regularly to take pictures. It's a place that can be one of the nicest places when it's fair weather but as soon as the bad weather comes it's one of the most dangerous places along our coastline. Both of these extremes obviously make for amazing images.

Ian Works on Film so his visit was very well timed with this project. Giving us pointers on what can go wrong while using the equipment. 

A link to Ian McDonald's website is below.

http://www.ianmacdonald.co.uk/

Andreas Gursky

Probably known more so for his Photographs that made it into the top 10 most expensive photographs in the world.

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--d4OBoctK--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/18unpt7o6150ojpg.jpg

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02052/Rhein_II_2052673b.jpg

Probably an obvious choice of people to write about when studying 'Landscape' but who better to learn from than from the masters.

The Images that capture me the most of Andreas' work are the ones that we wouldn't normally see as a landscape but he takes the photographs at such height and or angle that it creates the feel of one. For example the images below:

http://www.amusingplanet.com/2012/03/large-scale-urban-photography-by.html

http://www.amusingplanet.com/2012/03/large-scale-urban-photography-by.html

Techniques.

So with this being my second time using Film, I felt it would be a good time to get adventurous. Although I had previously had a play about with things like filters and changing the Aperture on the enlarger. I hadn't really started to push any boundaries.

Filters.

So first things first, Filters.

http://www.porters.com/ilford-multigrade-filters-below-the-lens-pack-of-12.html

These clever little things are the early answer to Photoshop. Although you won't be able to use it to put a Hippos face onto a Frog's body, Being able to draw out shadows or create more contrast was once seen as groundbreaking technology.

 https://www.facebook.com/TheGoodLordAbove/photos/pb.157750900979288.-2207520000.1400073466./773771092710596/?type=3&theater

I knew I'd be able to sneak that photo in somewhere! haha

So back to Filters. I use the Ilford Multigrade (as pictured above the Hippofrogamus) These are graded from 00-5. The lower the number on the filter, the brighter the tone is effected. So as a simple rule, 00 would effect Whites or very pale Greys, where 5 would only change the Blacks. I decided to look into the ways I can make test strips with this new skill.

Split Grade Printing.

So not only was this an interesting technique, it also saves money on the very expensive paper used to print and do test strips. Previously I had used one test strip to get the base of my photograph correct (whites and light greys with no filter) then I'd move onto using a 5grade filter. The reason I don't use a filter when getting the base of my Photograph is because I like a really heave contrast between the Blacks and Whites in my Photographs. This would use up a minimum of 2 test strips which doesn't seem much but it all adds up in the end. I came across 'Split Grade Printing', a new challenge and also a little money saver.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7177/6930137883_2b8cdde74b_z.jpg

Above is an example of a split grade print. You can see from the bottom left it's at it's lightest and works all the way up to the darkest in the top right. The image is broken down into a grid making it possible to see black adjustments and white as the both go up the scale. Then just simply pick the square that best suits the tonal range that you're aiming for in your final photograph.

Andrew Sanderson explains in these short Video's:

http://youtu.be/5XgmJk2Fmpw

http://youtu.be/p8H7eLcGUZs

Introduction...

So this project is based on 'The Landscape'. Usually known as a picturesque scene of mountains with a pretty stream and a some Trees and Bushes scattered around. Although this is classed as a 'Landscape' the term can be used in many other ways to describe a picture.

I'll use this blog to investigate how professional photographers stretch the boundaries of the term and turn it into amazing photographs with narrative.

I have been tasked not only to create a body of work relating to the 'Landscape' genre of photography but also to use a 5x4 film Camera and to shoot in black and white.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=628508120532091&set=pb.399920643390841.-2207520000.1399901891.&type=3&theater

Having only used and processed once in my life (my street photography project) this was going to be interesting.

This is stripping photography back to the very basics and really making the photographer consider everything before pressing the button and creating the photograph.

Having previously used medium format Hasselblad with a digital back, I was prepared for the way everything in the viewfinder was backwards but the 5x4 had a little something extra up it's sleeve. Not only was it backwards but the whole image is upside down. It's a little strange being stood under the cape and looking at the world upside down. Your life changes for that little time you're under there, concentration is so heavily emphasised on staying stood up and working up from down and vice versa nothing else matters.