Photographer Research; Lewis Baltz

Lewis Baltz was a visual artist who was born in 1945 and died in 2014. Baltz series documented the effects that industrialisation has on different landscapes. His work joins work such as Bernd and Hilla Becher in the New topographic movement- this is a term to define the work of photographers such as Baltz and Bernd and Hilla who's aesthetic is very similar in terms of both the composition and the colouring- the simplicity of mainly black and white imagery. It is suggested that his work resembles other photographers work but in addition works in similarities to painters such as Frank Stella and Donald Judd in terms of the aesthetic in which they create.

This image is very minimalistic which is clearly as already mentioned which I personally find really intriguing because there isn't much distracting the audience. I also find the camera framing/angle really interesting. Baltz has taken this image at a narrow framing so the audience cannot see the entire of the building, yet you are still given enough to figure out that it is a very run down building. Furthermore, as the angle is head on, it is clear that this image was taken on a tripod as the leading lines in the middle of the image of the ladder are perfectly straight. Additionally, I find it really interesting how Baltz has shown a transition of colour in this image, starting on the left the wall looks really dark yet it is hard to work out whether it is this colour due to shadowing or paint, then are the image spans out, there is a light transition as the image becomes brighter. I think this is really interesting because when looking at the other work by Baltz, they have mainly been over exposed in this manner which I think works really well because it could be argued that Baltz wanted to create irony within this particular image. As this appears to be a run down building passers by may look at this image in a more "dark"/ negative light, however this image "puts light"/ positivity on something normally ignored and pushed aside. 

This is a second image by Baltz which I find further interesting in the work of structures because the editing has been used in this image to raise the contrast- the trees in the middle and on the right are much darker than the surrounding building. Much like the image above, you as the audience are able to see very little of the building, just one side of it. I think this is a really good and intriguing aspect of taking images of structures because Baltz has shown that you do not have to see the entire building to gain a view. However, it is also symbolic especially with this particular image because this image appears to be at the back of a building however who is to say what the front of the building/ other sides look like? This could actually be a really nice building, Baltz has just taken one aspect of the building to form the stereotypical view of a derelict building. This can therefore be symbolic because the angle Baltz has taken this image is of a narrow angle, implying he is signifying the narrow-minded view of people in today's society, they only look at one aspect of something and build up a view on that part whilst ignoring the rest of the information. 

I decided to choose this image as well to analyse because I believe this style of photography would be really interesting to explore within my coming project. This is because Baltz has really thought about the composition and framing of this image, focusing on centralising the door with the rest of the frame at quite minimal, which personally I find really affective. Personally I believe this image really links well with the intentions of Baltz of showing the industrialisation damaging landscape because you can see this image hasn't be kept. One of the stereotypes of spare time many years ago for the working class would have been gardening, this is where the stereotype for if you had a tan you were considered working class because you spend more time outside. However, as time has progressed, there has been less time for things such as gardening. Which is relevant to this particular image because it appears to be over grown and un kept. Furthermore, I personally do not like shadowing across my images, however this one has two lines of shadowing across the building which could account for symbolic reasoning- for example, no one has been present in this house for many years and there fore has became abandoned.

This is one of the older images which I found for Lewis Baltz which I find really effective because much like the other images in his series the minimalistic approach to this composition can hold a massive effect upon the audience. For example, the bold colouring within this image is really interesting because the wash out effect has given this image a contrast, showing the difference between the white door/ building and the blacked out window and wooden frame above the door. Another aspect of this image which I find really interesting is the position in which Baltz decided to take this image, he could have framed the image so it was just the front of the house, however he decided to have the broken and destroyed up land in the foreground third which I personally find more effective because it gives a bigger insight to the audience for the atmosphere of the "run down" effect. It is clear that through the use of blur and composition the audience are able to build a perspective of the surrounding location- this wouldn't be situated in a "wealthy" estate, it would appear to be part of the working class estate.

Influence and summary...

Much like other photographers I have researched, the style and composition has been the main/ key factor in influencing my work because much like the work of Baltz here, it showed me when I went out to complete the shoots to keep in mind the angle I take the images in. For this image I have presented above displays how researching Baltz had an influence on the outcome of my work because, if you look at the final image above, I took several images such as this one presenting the front of a house. However, I was un able to complete the image exactly like Baltz because I weren't able to walk back any further because this was down a row of houses either side and if I went back any further, I would have been in the opposite houses garden.

Photographer research; Bernd and Hilla Becher

Much like Andreas Gursky, Bernd and Hilla Becher were German photographers, the three actually studied photography together which is why in certain cases their work interlinks, showing their working together has influence one another. The composition of Bernd and Hilla's work definitely interlinks with the work of Gursky in terms of having a head on framing of structures. Using a documentary style they are most famous for capturing images of industrial buildings. I have chosen to use Bernd and Hilla to research because I believe their work will help influence my work massively in terms of the shoots I hope to take of shops and ruins- using the same composition. Another aspect of their work which I find appeal is the way they have chosen to present their work, sometimes they present them as standing alone images, other times they place images together, in almost a contact sheet format, of the same buildings just different angles. 

This is the first example which I wanted to show because as mentioned above it is one of the ways they decided to display their work. It is a photo of very similar buildings in terms of shape and size yet are different in the terms of windows that are in the wall, the are of one of the front of the house one of the back of the house. I think this is really interesting because much like the work by Gursky that has already been analysed, you are able to personify the buildings through the symbolism which has been created in this photo. For example showing the saying of "everybody has the same structure (a skeleton) but are different on the outside". In relation to buildings, the differences could represent wealth/ social class. for example, the more windows could symbolism a high social standing with more money as there would either be more rooms or the rooms would be more "open". Whereas the top row of housing has very little windows which could imply they are of a lower social class as when the houses were being built they couldn't afford as many windows suggesting inside these houses it would be more close in/ claustrophobic.

Much like the image above, these images are presented in the same way, they are of different buildings in very similar sizes but all have different effects on the audience which are transitioned across the final image. Therefore, as this has a very similar effect as the one above, it shows how the symbolism of personification is very similar as well. Thus showing how the main aspects of Bernd and Hilla's work is creating symbolism through only the use of structures, which personally I think is such a good and interesting idea because instead of having images purely of a building with no more insight not meaning anything else, it is much more interesting for the audience to read into the symbolism. Therefore influence my ideas for this project- perhaps I could take photos of different houses and compare them in similar ways.

I personally find this image interesting because it shows a really old and run down looking building. Even though my camera wouldn't be able to take photos wide enough to get the whole building like this without distorting the final image- it would create a fish eye distortion unlike this final image. An aspect of this image which I do find quite interesting is the composition of the building in the frame, they have been able to position the building very central in this photo having very similar distance between the edge of the building and the end of the frame. When looking at this image originally, it doesn't look very special, although when you look harder at this image, you can see the difference in the location, implying the saying of " rich land surrounding in seas of poverty". In the background in the left top hand corner, you can see a building which appears to be either higher up because it is on a raised bit of land up a hill or it is a taller building its self, however the building in the background appears to be a much more wealthy building contrasting the main standing building we see in this image. I therefore find this image very symbolic because it shows not to judge something at first sight, someone may see this image and automatically be lead to believe that this is a low income "slum-like" area with building where people have to share homes, however, this is not the case because in the background reveals that it is not all housing which looks like this.  

This is the final image which I wanted to include in the research for Bernd and Hilla because I really find the "barn" style of building really interesting. The main aspect of this image much like all the images above which I think stands out is the composition of this image because it is clear that they did not go to this building quickly take a picture and then walk away, it appears to be carefully framed. This would have been with a tripod- thus showing me when I come to shooting this project, I need to carefully frame the aspect I want to frame, make sure it is neat with the lines appearing to be parallel to each other. This way I believe it makes a much more interesting and intriguing image for my audience to look at. Even though as already mentioned my camera would be unable to frame a building like this especially where I am focusing my project on as all the housing are very close together, I wouldn't be able to go back far enough. 

Influence and summary;

Much like Gursky, Bernd and Hilla have massively helped influence my shoots. When looking at the composition they used when taking photos of buildings massively helped influence my work because it showed me that if I focus on a side of a building, an audience are able to work out/ build a personality for the building. In my case in the image above, I used the composition of head on the front of a post office centralising the post box. Also, the style of photography also helped influence my shoots, even though the images of Bernd and Hilla are very likely to be black and white due to the times of them being taken, I still liked the idea of making my images black and white following the theme.

Photographer Research 1; Andreas Gursky

Andreas Gursky is a German photographer who is mentioned within the exam topic of "manufactured structures". His work varies in locations such as 99 cent stores, to just the front of housing flats. However there is a running theme in the style of the images- he creates a "front on" affect where the use of a tripod is very clear and the alignment of the framing creates aesthetically pleasing images to look at. Personally, the main appeal of Gursky work to me is the positioning of the subjects/ objects within the frame creating a deeper symbolism which is missed at first glance- something in which I hope to create within my work in this project. Originally, Gursky worked as a taxi driver whilst his parents worked in the photography profession- he didn't want to follow their footsteps; though later on in his career, he studied photography with Bernd and Hilla- who's who also relates to this project- thus showing the influence they had on one another.

This is one of the images by Gursky which I find really interesting because to me this holds so much more symbolism than just a picture of windows and balconies. Firstly, I think this image is interesting because of the framing Gursky has done on the building. To be able to take an image like this, it appears that he was in a tall building opposite this one. This has a much better effect on the image rather than if he had taken whilst standing on the floor and looking up- it wouldn't have been as "neat". Additionally, I find this image has symbolism because each window and balcony is the same in the term of style and size. However, when you look at each room you can almost personify the rooms- giving them a personality even when there aren't people in every room. We can build this symbolism through the positioning of chairs. For example some balconies have only one chair- perhaps they live alone. Other balconies with two chairs are all positioned differently as well. Some are facing each other and some are looking out towards the Gursky. This can be used to frame a personality as well because the chairs facing each suggest a sociable aspect- they sit outside to talk to one another, whereas the chairs which face outside the balcony imply they sit out there together admiring what ever it is in front of them. Another aspect to this image I find appealing is the colouring, even though this is entirely down to Gursky- he has found a building where the curtains within each room contrasts in colour with the white building. I find this image useful in influencing my project because it showed me to try experiment with a head-on position in order to create an image which is pleasing to look at. 

This image was taken in Hosel 1984. I have found that this style of photography- the head-on framing, was more consistent within Gursky older series; in the 80s. For this particular image I think it is really interesting because if you were to search Hosel in Germany, it appears to be quite built up, though at the point of this image, you can see the making of buildings- this appears to be a building site. Many photographers may have taken images of the building inside- the creation. However as Gursky has taken an image of the incomplete wall building I think it is really interesting because it shows the creation rather than the outcome. Further more, Gursky has chosen to share this image, even though if he had waited a couple seconds later, the people wouldn't be in the frame, so clearly showing that Gursky preferred having subjects in the frame. Someone may see this image and think that the photographer was too impatient to wait until the passerbys leave the frame. Although personally I think the use of the subjects make this particular image symbolic as it shows they aren't paying any attention to this building- much like many people, if a building doesn't have anything to do with them, effect them, they will just happily pass it by. However I think this building looks very intriguing because it appears to be in the middle of being built yet the state of the bricks look quite old creating a distinct between new and old, perhaps this is an old building in the middle of being re done.   

 

This image was taken in Kirchfeldstrasse 1980 and was the oldest image on the website that I found for Gursky. Even though this image isn't a "head-on" effect like the other images in this post I still find relevance in this photo. This is because Gursky has create an image which appears to be in a very small room in a quite run-down building, however this contrasts with what comes up when you search this place. This implies within the last 30 years it has been done up, but before hand it looked really run done, much like it does in this particular room. I find this image interesting because even though as already mentioned it appears to be run down, there is contrasting the old and new, much like other images in Gursky's work- the window frame and ledge looks freshly painted but the rest of the wall looks much older and in need of a new "touch".

This image is of Passport Control in 1982 and is part of Gursky's series of "Desk Attendants", which I personally find really intriguing because even though this is directly focusing on structures- it is focusing on the subjects, I personally think the structure of the booths can be read as quite interesting structures alone. Yet again this is another example of how Gursky's work has influenced my project because it shows the head on effect, if Gursky had taken this image from an angle and the subjects had to turn their head slightly, I do not think it would have the same effect because the framing of all the different lines would be off. It is almost as if this is a reflection of one side, however the only difference is the different attendant. 

Influence and Summary...

As a whole I believe Gursky is one of the key photographers which helped influence the work within this project because I have been able to use the techniques such as the composition of a head on factor within my shoots of buildings such as my door shoot and my shop shoot (as shown in the example above of an old police station building). One of the other techniques that Gursky's work has helped influenced my work with is the use of lighting; most of Gurksy's work is quite light and over exposed a little bit, which is why I wanted to go out and do these shoots when it was a bright day, so I could naturally take similar images in terms of the lighting. Gursky has also helped my project as a whole in showing the use of symbolism through the composition in causing personification of the different buildings.

Photographer research: Robert Adams

Adams follows a very similar style of photography than Lewis Baltz being a part of the New Topographic. His images capture the regional transition including the suburbanisation. His series were conducted across a number of years- much like a longitudinal study which is one of the key factors explaining why I decided to chose his work in my project. As a whole, I believe his work links really well with the rest of the photographers I have already studied.

When I originally looked at this image I found it resembled a horror image, however, the more I look into the image the more I find interesting about it. I think this is a clear example of the New Topographics work because the composition included and focused on in this image is very intriguing because the use of thirds have been clearly used, the foreground third is the garden, the middle third is the house and then the top third is the sky. When taking this image Robert Adams had several different options, he could have just taken an image zoomed in to the house, or used the house and just the foreground of the garden. However, he has decided to use a zoomed out effect which I find really interesting. This is because the house itself act as a leading line as it transitions across the frame. Another factor which I find relevant to analyse it the use of Henri Cartier- Bresson's term of the decisive movement- if Adams had taken this shot a moment later, the subject shown in the image may not have been turned in this way. Furthermore, another aspect which I find a running theme across images such as Adams, is the use of framing in the buildings which I find really interesting because it is almost framing a completely different image itself. For example, this image is mainly focusing on the building it self, although if you cropped around the frame of the window, this could have been a completely different image holding a different context altogether, which therefore I find a really interesting approach.

For this image, I find that it relates so much to Bernd and Hilla Becher's work because of the framing of the building. Firstly, much like all the other images within this series of his work, the composition is key in the framing for the final product, focusing mainly on the biggest structure in the centre but at the same time including smaller parts of the surroundings much like what frames Bernd and Hilla's work. The reason I decided to include this particular image in my work for this project is because I find the context really intriguing because of the style of photography, the audience are able to build an image on the surrounding location. Caravans as a whole are either associated as a holiday for the working class, or very low income families home. I think the combination between the run down building in the background with the roof falling off joined with the caravan presents a run down, slum like area.

Personally I find that this image is really interesting in showing the development in society because it shows how land is becoming overtaken with homes rather than being kept for wild life. For example, if adams would have taken this image of the surrounding without having the building part of a new house in the foreground, I do not think the audience would be able to work out what is happening, it would only appear that there are a couple houses on some land. However, as Adams has used depth of field- having something in the foreground- the building part of a house, with the rest in the background I do believe it is really effective. Furthermore, I decided to include this in my analyse for this photographer because even though most of the work that relates to my intentions for my shoot are minimalistic images, although this one is much more in depth and I still believe it works just as well.

I find this image really interesting because I think that this would be a very marmite effect image. Some people may look at this image and think that is a very boring, box standard image of just an everyday house. However, I believe that this image shows how not only does this photographer link to the work in which I wish to produce in this topic but also how the influencing photographers work actually link together because this image is also very similar to Bernd and Hilla Becher's work as shown on my previous photographers research. Firstly, I find this image interesting due to the composition, Robert Adams has frame the house with the same dimensions all around the building which I do think is very successful. Additionally, even though Adams does't have any control over the building itself, I believe that this building works well as the positioning of the windows in comparison to the door is interesting and well done.

Influence and summary

Personally, I believe that Adams did have have similar influences on my project than the other photographers such as Bernd and Hilla but also Baltz. For this particular image, I believe it is most similar to the third image I have displayed and analysed in this blog post. I think therefore The influence Adams has had on my blog is massively revolved around the composition of the framing.