Eugene Richards - The Blue Room
Eugene Richards is an American documentary photographer who worked on a project called 'The Blue Room' where he photographed abandoned places in America.
Eugene Richards is an American documentary photographer who worked on a project called 'The Blue Room' where he photographed abandoned places in America.
This picture shows an abandoned house in the middle of nowhere, the fact that the house has no windows or doors suggest it has perhaps been abandoned for quite some time. I think this picture is very effective in showing an eerie and scary, yet intriguing mood/vibe. This is because the area is completely desolate apart from the house, the two both contrast nicely in tones as the house stands out greatly as not only being the only thing there but also the darkness of it against the pale sky and snow on the ground. As there is so much negative space in the image it works well at creating a sense of the house being abandoned and it being completely empty there. The composition of the photo has the house fairly central to the picture definitely making it the focal point to the image. Also the way the picture is framed makes the place seem even more abandoned as it is only showing one house in a vast space, whereas for all we know a bit further to the left/right there could of been another house or building. However this would of ruined the effectiveness of this image as it wouldn't of had such a desolate feeling to it.
This picture shows an old bed left in an abandoned house, and shows how snow has started to form on it. I think the picture shows a mysterious and lonely mood as the room is clearly a mess and has just been left, it leaves questions as to why and when it was left. I think the picture relates strongly to time, the snow reflects how it's been left for a long time that snow has come in and settled. The focus point to the picture is definitely the snow as it's not supposed to be there so leaves the person viewing the image intrigued. I think the framing has been done carefully to capture the bed and the snow and make that the focus point and nothing else in the room. I think also how the image is composed with the bed not neatly places in the center of the image helps us draw our attention the the snow but also the broken window at the side which shows that the place is abandoned and also how the snow got in. The lighting of this picture is very dull and mainly dark colours apart from the white snow which makes a contrast between the decaying of the room (the dark colours) and the newness/freshness of the snow (the light colours).
Nadav Kander - Half Life
Nadav Kander is a London based photographer whom worked on a project called Half Life, which was taken in a town called Chernobyl which had to have everyone evacuated due to a nuclear radiation explosion (hence the name of the project being called Half Life). He photographed the abandoned town and showed common themes of nature taking over the town.
Nadav Kander is a London based photographer whom worked on a project called Half Life, which was taken in a town called Chernobyl which had to have everyone evacuated due to a nuclear radiation explosion (hence the name of the project being called Half Life). He photographed the abandoned town and showed common themes of nature taking over the town.
This first image shows an overview of the abandoned town, you can see the faded and rotting away buildings which have been left for many years empty. However there is a strong comparison of the desolate, rotting town being contrasted with the beauty of the sun rising or setting. The reflection on the window shows almost a dream and perfect town and how it could of been if the disaster had not occurred. It compares to the non-reflected part of the image which shows the harsh reality of what has happened. The tones of the picture are fairly neutral apart from the darkness of the rotting buildings which shows the abandoned vibe of the place and obviously the sunset or rise stands out as a bright and hopeful colour. The mood of the picture gives of a sense of hope for the town, as the sun offers beauty to such a destroyed and decaying town. I think this image gives perspective as to how vast the impact of the explosion was as it shows an overview of the whole town and it's impact.
This picture shows an abandoned orphanage, the mood from the image coveys a sense of sadness that it has been left exactly how it was before still with pillows and blankets. Despite the colours being light and almost giving a sense of hopefulness the peeling wallpaper shows how long the place has been left and how empty and neglected it is. The rotting of the bed again shows how long the place has been abandoned and shows a sense of sadness as to where these children went after they were evacuated. The alignment of the photo with the beds exactly as they were before - neatly lined up shows as sense of how sudden and difficult it must of been for the children to have just had to leave. The lighting is fairly bright and uplifting for such an upsetting situation, rather than dark and gloomy which presents an interesting contrast.
In this image a picture of an abandoned swimming pool. The tones in this picture are fairly sinister and show a sense of sadness of how desolate the place is. The crumbling rubble of the swimming pool shows how the place is falling apart and how there is little hope for recovery of the town. The mood of the image again portrays sadness as it gives a real perspective of how everything in the town was affected and even makes you think back to how it would of been before the nuclear explosion, busy and bustling with people which compares to how empty and desolate it is now. The composition of the photo shows a clear view of the swimming pool and how such a vast space has just been wasted. The peeling wallpaper shows how destroyed the place is, yet the blue of the wallpaper is a more uplifting colour showing perhaps some sings of hope. This photo helped inspired me to take some photographs of an abandoned swimming pool, it helped me to think about capturing a swimming pool and how it should be a busy and fun place yet they are empty and filled with rubbish. This helped me develop my idea of not just taking photos of the pool but also the surroundings to help put the reason the pool is no longer in use in context.
Location Photography - Swimming Pool
For location photography I went around my school to find more unusual locations that aren't as heavily used such as the canteen or the hall, my school has an abandoned swimming pool which made an interesting subject. I also photographed the area around the pool which had a very mysterious and abandoned feel to it. The lighting was exceptionally good and hence produced a clear reflection in the water which made the images a lot more engaging.
Location Photography - Allotment
For my second series of photographs I went to the school's allotment and photographed around there, there were lots of different elements of photography to capture. The lighting was again very good and there was a plentiful range of colours to capture.
Location Photography - Woods
For my third development of pictures I went to the woods, to try and capture some of the elements of photography. The lighting on this particular day was fairly cloudy and grey and hence the colours of the wood didn't stand out well however it had great space and interesting textures.
The Formal Elements
Here are the 12 formal elements of photography:
Here are the 12 formal elements of photography:
My Environment Project
Inital inspiring landscape Photographers
1) Ansel Adams - majestic, vast, twisting, eery, empty
2) Thomas Struth - commercial, city, busy, pollution, fast moving
3) Berenice Abbott - industrial, vintage, packed, hard work, suburb
4) Minor White - open, lonely, never ending, clouds, peaceful
5) Brassai - mysterious, empty, light, eery, fog
All these photographers inspired me as I feel that despite not all of them being of urban city, they all give on a clear sense of their environment and represent it very well. I also really like the black and white theme for them all as I feel it gives you a meaning to the picture and their environment rather than just seeing the pictures as a whole. My favourite photograph is the one taken by Ansel Adams, I think it captures the beautifulness of Yosemite perfectly and shows the beautiful environment and landscape. I also like how it shows the naturalistic side to the environment rather than the city as it shows true beauty of the environment rather than the commercial city which is filled with people.
Brief
For my three developments I had three different ideas which all had a common theme, the first being gritty London and the reality of how a lot of residential London looks, the second being commercial London and the third being modern vs old London. All these ideas link to a theme of the 'hidden London vs known London' and representing the two different sides to London as I see it. The first side I think London has is the rough area, council estate, high rise buildings, traditional architecture and back allies side. This is what I feel 'hidden' London is, the places Londoners know about apart from the famous landmarks which tourists don't go to or know about. The second side I feel London has is the popular tourist places and hugely commercial shopping places. I feel this is more the 'known' side to London as it's crammed with tourists and the true meaning of what London is is lost as people simply forget the real reason of what some of these popular landmarks actually mean. Two photographers that inspired me are Michael Wolf and Rut Blees Luxemburg. They both have taken photographs which represent an urban and industrial city vibe which I tried to capture in some of my 'hidden' London photos. They're technique of capturing an urban city with high rise buildings definitely helped influence my photos.
For my three developments I had three different ideas which all had a common theme, the first being gritty London and the reality of how a lot of residential London looks, the second being commercial London and the third being modern vs old London. All these ideas link to a theme of the 'hidden London vs known London' and representing the two different sides to London as I see it. The first side I think London has is the rough area, council estate, high rise buildings, traditional architecture and back allies side. This is what I feel 'hidden' London is, the places Londoners know about apart from the famous landmarks which tourists don't go to or know about. The second side I feel London has is the popular tourist places and hugely commercial shopping places. I feel this is more the 'known' side to London as it's crammed with tourists and the true meaning of what London is is lost as people simply forget the real reason of what some of these popular landmarks actually mean. Two photographers that inspired me are Michael Wolf and Rut Blees Luxemburg. They both have taken photographs which represent an urban and industrial city vibe which I tried to capture in some of my 'hidden' London photos. They're technique of capturing an urban city with high rise buildings definitely helped influence my photos.
First Development
My first development is of the 'gritty' London, I went to the Heygate state in Elepahant and Castle, it is in the process of being demolished for regenerating Elephant and Castle and used to be home to over 3,000 people. I found it a very interesting place to photograph as I think it shows the 'real' side to many a part of London, which is built up council estates. I also found it intriguing how it is a very short journey away from some of London's most popular tourist destinations such as South Bank and London Bridge. Yet the comparison to the Heygate estate seems a million miles away as it presents a desolate and isolated place with very few local people let alone tourists. Below are two photographers who helped inspire me, one being Michael Wold and the other being Rut Blees Luxemburg.
My first development is of the 'gritty' London, I went to the Heygate state in Elepahant and Castle, it is in the process of being demolished for regenerating Elephant and Castle and used to be home to over 3,000 people. I found it a very interesting place to photograph as I think it shows the 'real' side to many a part of London, which is built up council estates. I also found it intriguing how it is a very short journey away from some of London's most popular tourist destinations such as South Bank and London Bridge. Yet the comparison to the Heygate estate seems a million miles away as it presents a desolate and isolated place with very few local people let alone tourists. Below are two photographers who helped inspire me, one being Michael Wold and the other being Rut Blees Luxemburg.
Michael Wold
Michael Wolf is a German photographer who has worked on many projects which represent the real sides to vast industrial cities. For example one of his projects 'Architecture of Density' shows the vastness of Hong Kong's buildings and the way that the structure of the buildings showed 'never-ending repetitions'. I feel this strongly relates to my idea of photographing the Heygate Estate which is a huge urban estate in South London.
This first picture instantly shows the vast, repeated pattern of Hong Kong's buildings and shows a very consumerist and over populated city. Its pedantic architecture makes the city look as though everything is the same and any meaning and interesting history has been lost to this knew modern world. The framing of the image enhances the repetition of the building as it completely feels the frame, making it more powerful as it shows the vastness of the building. I feel the mood created by the image is very dull and almost upsetting, the same colours used, lack of any differences or hint of character show a very plain and boring view of the city. It is shot from an angle which shows a decent chunk of the building to show off how big it is and hence get a sense of its repetitiveness. I really like this image because of the message it conveys, I think it educates us into how this world is becoming a materialistic metropolis.
The second picture is very similar to that of the first, I feel it is similarly positioned and gives off a very similar meaning. The fact that it is landscape framed makes you see even more of the vastness of these high rise buildings. Again the buildings are filling the frame making the repetition of the exact same format of the buildings even greater. The colours of the picture follow a pattern of a white-ish colour to a golden browny colour. This again shows any lack of originality to the buildings and how they're all built to look the same. I think the fact that the picture is slightly zoomed out makes the statement of everything being the same more powerful as it represents that the people are all the same and there is no diversity.
Rut Blees Luxemburg
Rut Blees Luxemburg is a German photographer who mainly photographed at night and of urban landscape. I felt her images helped inspired some of mine which were of the Heygate estate.
Rut Blees Luxemburg is a German photographer who mainly photographed at night and of urban landscape. I felt her images helped inspired some of mine which were of the Heygate estate.
This photograph shows a high rise tower block, I think the use of it being a worms eye view is clever because it enhances the scale of the tower block. I think the fact the picture is taken at night makes it have a more eery feel to it and slightly mysterious. This also links to how there are only some lights on and not others and leads you to think why. The mood of the image seems quite mysterious and lonely due to the fact there are so few lights on in the photo, it gives you as sense of perhaps some of the building being abandoned, it's also rather mysterious as the photo was taken at night. I think the main focus of the picture is obviously the tower block building, however the leaves at the top slightly obscure the image as if not carefully framed.
This second picture is again of a high rise tower block which is vastly wide. The composition of the photo is pretty exact as the building is neatly centered in the photo and hence makes it a very clear focal point. I think the way the photo has captured only some of the lights being on in the building presents a mysterious mood and atmosphere and I think links to it looking as though the building is on fire. Again the lighting of the picture is fairly dark and mysterious as it is taken in the evening. I think the tones in the image are all very similar but the height of the building makes it stand out from the other buildings and becomes the focus point of the image.
Second Development
My second development is commercialized London, to show this I went to Oxford Street which is a busy shopping district of London. It's jam packed with tourists all shopping and is extremely busy, it has no meaning or value behind it yet is one of the most popular and well know places for tourists to visit when in London.
Third Development
My third development focused on modern vs old London, for this I went to the area around South Bank and London Bridge as it shows old architecture as in the famous landmarks of the city but also modern architecture which is office buildings and new buildings such as the Shard. I focused on two main things, firstly capturing the new buildings and old buildings both in near distance of each other despite being completely different and showing a completely different London. The second being famous tourist places which are old and have great historical meaning and value yet are skimmed over and not understood by the modern world. I think there is a huge comparison between the architecture shown in these photos and the architecture shows from the Heygate estate, both are very different in terms of how nice they look and how modern they are and what they mean. I think the buildings by South Bank have a lot more meaning a are a lot more appreciated. It is a huge comparison especially as they are so near to each other.
Fourth Development
For my fourth development I wanted go back to the idea of photographing estates and representing the idea of 'hidden' London. I went to visit another estate in Elephant and Castle but also went back to the Heygate Estate. I wanted to focus on capturing the details of the estates close up, I also found it interesting to see much of the Heygate estate to be demolished. Another focus was on the architecture of the estates and highlighting the details of that and comparing that to the modern architecture see above in the developments for 'known' London.
I took inspiration from a photographer called Simon Kennedy whom focused on photographing architecture in London. He too photographed estates and modern building which contrast really nicely with one another. I really like his images of the estates as I feel they not only capture the estate in its raw manner but also captures the atmosphere around it. I really like the second image as I feel it portrays an eery atmosphere, it also really well which creates a clever balanced effect. I also like the fourth image as I feel it links to some photos in my third development of more modern architecture in London. I like the angle it is captured at and throughout all the developments I have tried to capture some images in the same slanted angle.
For my fourth development I wanted go back to the idea of photographing estates and representing the idea of 'hidden' London. I went to visit another estate in Elephant and Castle but also went back to the Heygate Estate. I wanted to focus on capturing the details of the estates close up, I also found it interesting to see much of the Heygate estate to be demolished. Another focus was on the architecture of the estates and highlighting the details of that and comparing that to the modern architecture see above in the developments for 'known' London.
I took inspiration from a photographer called Simon Kennedy whom focused on photographing architecture in London. He too photographed estates and modern building which contrast really nicely with one another. I really like his images of the estates as I feel they not only capture the estate in its raw manner but also captures the atmosphere around it. I really like the second image as I feel it portrays an eery atmosphere, it also really well which creates a clever balanced effect. I also like the fourth image as I feel it links to some photos in my third development of more modern architecture in London. I like the angle it is captured at and throughout all the developments I have tried to capture some images in the same slanted angle.
Final Images
For my final set of images I have chosen some which I feel best represent my theme of hidden vs known London. I wanted to just use pictures of the estates as I feel these turned out the strongest and became the biggest focus of the project.
For my final set of images I have chosen some which I feel best represent my theme of hidden vs known London. I wanted to just use pictures of the estates as I feel these turned out the strongest and became the biggest focus of the project.
Conclusion
In conclusion I think that my pictures link into my theme, I think if I had more time I would of liked to have taken more photos of modern buildings of London right next to the old buildings as a stronger comparison. Also to have taken more photos of busy commercial shopping places such as Westfield. I feel my project relates well to the topic of my environment because I've shown the different aspects of London which makes it the place it is. Also I feel it is important to me as living in London you get to know the 'hidden' side to it and not just the 'known' side to it. I chose to take these pictures to relate to the theme my London as they show why London is important to me and the different sides to it. I feel capturing London with the theme hidden vs known London is important to me because I think it is important for people to know that there is more to London that just the busy tourist landmarks and shopping places but actually some of the most interesting and historical places are the empty and hidden places in London which people don't know/talk about.