Personal Study - Pioneers of Landscape Photography

For my A2 project I have chosen the Landscape pathway, the reason for this choice is that I didn't follow this theme throughout my As project. Therefore I will follow this pathway for my second year on the photography a level course and make the most of photographing nature/ landscape settings, which I enjoy doing. I have also decided to do the Landscape pathway because this is an oppurtunity for me to explore and capture images of different areas; urban as well as rural, around London. Lastly, I have been inspired by Ansel Adams' landscape photography where he has captured images focusing on the texture or pattern created by nature. Throughout the A2 year I would like to capture my own images focusing on the same kind of theme in rural areas, for example: a field, the woods, a forest etc.




The photo displayed on the left was captured by Ansel Adams, an American photographer and environmentalist who was born on February 20th 1902 and died on April 22nd 1984. He was mainly recognised for his black and white landscape photographs of the American West (the photo on the left is an example) as these photos have been reproduced on posters, calendars and in books. 

Along with Fred Archer, Ansel Adams created the 'Zone System' which is a technique that allows you to determine optimal film exposure as well as development. Ansel once described the Zone System as 'not an invention of mine; it is a codification of the principles of sensitometry, wokred out by Fred Archer and myself at the Art Centre School in Los Angeles, around 1939-40'.

The system he created is what allowed his photos to be recognised as his creations due to the result of the clarity, depth and adjustment of contrast. 

Ansel produced his first portfolio in 1927 which he named 'Parmelian Prints of the High Sierras' which he included photos taken with his Korona view camera, using glass plates and a dark red filter to create an even greater contrast. When he came to his last plate he decided to visualize the effect of the blackened sky before taking the last shot. He then said that he would be able to 'realize a desired image: not the way the subject appeared in reality but how it felt to me and how it must appear in the finished print. 

In April 1927 he became satisfied with his work and believe that it was at a good enough standard for the world to see. He wrote: 'My photographs have now reached a stage when they are worthy of the world's critical examination. I have suddenly come upon a new style which I believe will place my work equal to anything of its kind'.

The photo above shows a wide contrast between the three colours; grey, black and white. The texture of the clouds creates a calm mood along with the grey and white contrast as it appears smooth and a fluffy kind of texture. I have also noticed that the mountains and ground are much sharper than the clouds in the sky. This effect was probably created using the Zone System as Ansel and Fred created it to adjust the contrast and clarity of the photos. This picture is one of my favourite photos by Ansel Adams due to the various patterns visible on the stoned mountains and in the sky.

This photo was taken by a German- British photographer (and photojournalist) named Hermann Wilhelm Brandt, also known as Bill Brandt. Bill Brandt was born in Germany but decided to move to live in England where he became extremely well known for the characteristics of his photos; high contrast images of the British society. He was also recognised for distorting nude and landscape photos. The technique he used made people consider him to be one of the most important photographers of the 20th century in Britain.

Throughout the second World War begun 'Camera in London' which was a collection of photos where he focused on a variety of subjects; portraiture and landscape for example, where he particularly excelled in 1948. In 1951 his book; Literary Britain was published, and ten years later he published Perpective of Nudes. During this period of time was when Brandt became Britains most influential photographer of the 20th century.

This photo has a clear contrast of black, white and grey tones (like the picture above), which has been taken using a high depth of field and a low angle, of trees and a building in a field. I like the way the grey tones blend in within the sky as creates an image of a storm, along with the direction of the grass which appears to be blowing in the wind. This idea is questionable due to the low angle in which Bill Brandt took the photo, which makes the photo seem even more interesting.




This photo was taken by a photographer named Carelton Watkins who was born on 11th November 1829 and died on 23rd June 1916, who was well known as a 19th century Californian photographer. Also, like Ansel Adams he was noted for his photos of the American West; Yosemite Valley in the 1860s in particular. Carelton Watkins' photos of Yosemite Valley is what influenced the United States Congress to make the decision of establishing the valley as the National Park, in 1864.

When Carelton became interested in landscape photography, he started taking photos of mining scenes in Yosemite Valley. He used various photographic techniques, such as using his 'Mammoth Camera' where he used a stereographic camera with large glass plate negatives. The use of the stereograpghic camera was to create an illusion of depth within the photograph. His stereographic photos are what made him famous and are what influenced the United States Congress to name the valley 'National Park'.

This is one of my favourite of Carelton Watkins' collection due to the effects of nature. I like the position that he photographed it in, enabling us to see the reflection of the many aspects of the picture, such as: the different trees, the sky and the mountains at different angles. This photo allows us to appreciate the many forms of nature, as nature itself allowed the photo to look as amazing as it does (the reflection in the water which is natural, as well as the natural shapes of the mountains, trees and land). 

 

This photo was taken by William Henry Fox Talbot who was born on 11th February 1860 and died on 17th September 1877. He is British photography pioneer and inventor who invented the Calotype process in 1841. Calotype is a photographic process using paper coated with silver iodide, with the objects placed ontop. William was also recognised as a photographer who contributed majorly to the development of photography over the years.   


 This photo shows a reflection like the picture above. However the reflection in this photo makes the image seem surreal due to the sepia effect created which makes it slightly difficult to see where the bottom of the trees are. I like the way Talbot has made such a simple image of winter trees seem so interesting due to the straight angle he took the picture, allowing us to see the reflection in the clear water.