Environment: Critical Appraisal

Environment: Are we using too much?

My initial thoughts for this project were all based around taking photos around the country side and finding beautiful landscape, but as the project progressed, it became apparent that around here I wouldn’t be able to find such locations. Living in a town as large as this, which is always expanding, its hard to find somewhere that’s still untouched and undeveloped. Because of this, I changed my project idea to concentrate on showing how much of the landscape we use. 

I started researching photographers who’s work focuses on similar points, most importantly of whom was Edward Burtynsky. His imagery shows the effect that industry (mining/oil/manufacturing) has on the landscape. In particular, I looked at his collection of images entitled “Urban Renewal”, which looks at the growing population of China, and how they cope with increasing numbers of people.

The government in China own all the land, but citizens are allowed to use it until the government chooses to take it back to be developed on. This happens more and more now, leaving people homeless, and also leaving no natural undeveloped areas.

Another photographer who’s work I looked at was Robert Adams. His work focused on the changing American landscape, in a time when large cities were being expanded, and people were moving out into the wilderness. In particular, his series entitled “Summer Nights” looks at the difference between the city, and the rural areas outside. All of the images were taken at night. This is something that I wanted to experiment with on my shoots, but when I started taking photos, I realised that they would look better during the day.

My final images are taken around the area of the River Medway, and around the industrial areas surrounding it. I was looking at this open area of grass by the river, and how it would most likely be developed on just like the rest of the river banks. I looked at how uncared for the area looks, and the effect that the industrial waste and boats have on the river itself.

This project initially seemed fairly easy from a practical point of view, but as I worked further into it, I realised how much signs in photographs influence the meaning behind the image, and how that is transferred to the viewer. I feel that if I could revisit this unit, which I will be doing, that I can work harder at making images that say what im trying to put across to the audience.