Whilst out taking test images I became really interested in the way man made paths cut through the natural landscape. I like how the roads or pathways represent how humans have intervened with nature, as it cuts through the landscape which symbolises the way humans have cut through the land and changed it. I also like the divide that is created by the roads cutting through the image as it represents the difference between nature and landscape however I also like how the road can be a sign of hope as it connects the two sections of the landscape.
Struth’s photographs inspired me as they show the relationship people have with the environment. He uses roads to symbolise how humans have changed the natural landscape. He has composed his work so you can see a large area of the beautiful landscape to show how the roads cut through all the beauty of the area. In the images Struth includes tree’s, this gives a powerful feel to all of the images because of the power and strength tree’s symobilse. By having the tree’s pictured next to the road shows how slowly the strength of the landscape is deteriorating however there is also a sign of hope as the tree’s are still standing strong and heroic against the man made roads. In Struth’s images everything is equal as he has used a large aperture which has made everything is in focus. The use of the large aperture represents how the man-made areas in the landscape have almost become part of nature because of how many natural areas have been effected by humans. By having everything in focus also shows how people are becoming confused by what is natural and what is man made in the landscape. I love the simplicity of his images and how he has composed the images so he is standing in the middle of the road as it represents how humans are the ones that have changed the landscape.
Naoya Hatakeyama
The Japanese photographer Hatakeyama represents human intervention in the landscape in his work. He photographs man made hills which look almost natural in the landscape, this shows how man-mad areas in the natural landscape look natural to us because we’re so use to them. Hatakeyama’s images show the vastness of the man-made areas in the landscape and how much natural area’s humans have effected. The vastness of the landscape is shown by the camera angle choice as he looks down on the area as a birds eye view so you can see a large part of the landscape. A large aperture was used in this image because its all in focus through out the image. The lighting in the image highlights the hills and makes them stand out, this brings across the point that they stand out in the the landscape. The two images below inspired me for my own landscape images as they have paths and roads running through them. I like the way they cut through dividing the landscape between nature and man-made, I also like how the paths draw your eyes into the image.
Joel Sternfield
The image’s below by Joel Sternfield show how humans have altered the landscape. His series of work in ‘Landscape with Path’ called ‘A Railroad Artifact’ inspired me for my own three environmental pictures as I like how he celebrates that nature is running through a built up area. I also like how he stands in the middle of the paths which draws your eyes through the images. The railroad Sternfield photographs is very overgrown and cuts through Manhattan similar to an urban walkway. I like the way he composes the images so you can see the city around the walk way, as it allows you to see the huge difference between nature and the urban landscape around it. I find his photo with the sign in the foreground with the saying majestic view to be ironic because of how it has to tell the audience that the scene is majestic and also because of the road that is running through which shows how humans have intervened with the landscape. I feel Sternfields work highlights the fact that nature is important as the main part in the photographs is the natural walk way. The nature side of the photograph also seems important because of how the walk way cuts through the urban area.
Richard Misrach
Richard Misrach's series called Desert Cantos, is a project he has worked on for over forty years, it looks at man's relationship with nature. Misrach said 'The human struggle, the successes and failures, the use and abuse, both noble and foolish, are readily apparent in the desert. Symbols and relationships seem to arise that stand for the human condition itself. It is a simple, if almost incomprehensible equation: the world is as terrible as it is beautiful, but when you look more closely, it is as beautiful as it is terrible." This is represented in his work as he doesn’t just look at the damage humans have caused but what effect we have had on the world accidentally or intentionally. Man’s presence within nature is represented through the below images as there is vehicle marks in the untouched landscape. I like the composition Misrach has chosen as by standing in the middle of the vehicle markings represents how we are the ones that have made the marks. This technique inspired me for my own environment images to stand in the middle of the road, as I also feel it helps to draw your attention into the image. There is an emptiness feel in Misrach’s photographs because of the flatness of the land this represents the vastness of the landscape. The markings in the desert cut through the landscape this helps to show the effect humans have when they intervene with the natural landscape. I found Richard Misrach's to be very inspiring for my environment photographs as I love the simplicity of them and how mans presence within nature is not shown in a negative or positive way.
Dan Holdsworth
'The world in itself' is a series by photographer Dan Holdsworth. This series is of photographs taken in Iceland of volcanic landscapes. The images capture a feeling of the sublime as the landscape looks like such a vast area. Holdsworths images have a very otherworldly feel as they look like futuristic landscapes as it's a landscape you are not use to seeing. His photographs capture humans intervention upon nature by showing a path way that has been made by vehicles, or by including buildings. Holdsworth has used low camera angle's and positioned his camera very close to the ground which emphasises the scale of the landscape. He has also used a small aperture as there is a large depth of field and everything is in focus. Dan Holdsworth's work has inspired me for my own three images I have to take as I like how he has captured a sublime landscape which emphasises the strength of nature even though humans are gradually destroying it.
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