21/02/2018
Evaluation
Working in the rain, mud and in some cases snow, was an incredible eye-opener for me because I had never considered the endless possibilities that the English landscape could offer and the history that it held. In a world that revolves around technology, nobody ever really steps into the outdoors and considers their surroundings as much as this project made you do.
I had a few initial thoughts on this project, none of which actually amounted to anything. One of my thoughts was to document the effect that methane gas on the landscape and wanted to photograph big groups of cows and cars to compare and discover which had the worst effect. I did start blogging about this and thought that it was a solid idea, before one day going back home and thinking what could be better than documenting my own city’s origins? And this started a project on the Sheffield steel industry.
Upon researching for this project, I discovered so much about Sheffield that even my grandparents didn’t know; new buildings built on the burial sites of old buildings, the rivers flowing through Sheffield, that look useless now, actually were incredibly important for the Sheffield steel industry. Working alone in Sheffield was a great opportunity for me to get to grips with how the origins of my city worked, I spent a lot of time walking without reason and photographing what I found interesting, to later find out that the subject I was photographing was actually huge for the Steel industry. I spent time in the peak district and in the vast hills of the Sheffield countryside and despite classing myself as a landscape photographer, I engaged with the landscape and thoroughly enjoyed it. I believe that I have created an engaging, interesting project that is close to my heart and I have learnt a lot about the landscape I have lived in for 20 years; the images themselves I am proud of and believe they tell a great story. I will no longer look at any landscape and think ‘that’s pretty’, I will look and think ‘I wonder why it looks like that’.
I had a few initial thoughts on this project, none of which actually amounted to anything. One of my thoughts was to document the effect that methane gas on the landscape and wanted to photograph big groups of cows and cars to compare and discover which had the worst effect. I did start blogging about this and thought that it was a solid idea, before one day going back home and thinking what could be better than documenting my own city’s origins? And this started a project on the Sheffield steel industry.
Upon researching for this project, I discovered so much about Sheffield that even my grandparents didn’t know; new buildings built on the burial sites of old buildings, the rivers flowing through Sheffield, that look useless now, actually were incredibly important for the Sheffield steel industry. Working alone in Sheffield was a great opportunity for me to get to grips with how the origins of my city worked, I spent a lot of time walking without reason and photographing what I found interesting, to later find out that the subject I was photographing was actually huge for the Steel industry. I spent time in the peak district and in the vast hills of the Sheffield countryside and despite classing myself as a landscape photographer, I engaged with the landscape and thoroughly enjoyed it. I believe that I have created an engaging, interesting project that is close to my heart and I have learnt a lot about the landscape I have lived in for 20 years; the images themselves I am proud of and believe they tell a great story. I will no longer look at any landscape and think ‘that’s pretty’, I will look and think ‘I wonder why it looks like that’.
18/02/2018
Final printsI chose this image as my final print because of 2 reasons. 1, I think that it represents Sheffield, and the project extremely well because it shows the diversity of the city, with industrial buildings one side, modern buildings the other, greenery and river flowing through the centre. The river actually diverts into two parts also, one side flows to power an old mill and the other flows into a reservoir. Secondly, I thought that the pinks and blues of the skies, along with the contrast of the orange building and the trees/ river would make for an exceptional print. There is a clear focus point on the image within the twisting river and it also looks great as a print altogether. My final 9 images that I chose to print are that of images I thought would make good prints, whilst being able to tell a story, and I think that the rivers, hills, industrial estates and old buildings work really well together to form a great narrative of the old Sheffield steel industry. I particularly like the image of the silhouetted night scape of Sheffield and this is one I considered for my final print as it shows the diversity of the Sheffield landscape.
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16/02/2018
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Final bookMaking a book was an interesting decision to make because it doesn’t really look beautifully made or it probably isn’t worthy for exhibition. I actually made the book to contextualise every image that I didn’t put in the final images because there are many images, such as the reservoirs and rivers that look like ordinary bodies of water, but in actual fact were absolutely vital to helping the steel industry thrive. I like the handmade look and feel to the book as it is very unique and personal to how I wanted it to be, as opposed to having it professionally printed. Although some of the pages are badly put together, I believe that the book contextualises everything to do with Sheffield and tells a wonderful story of how important certain things were to the steel industry. I am currently debating if I want to exhibit this book or to hand it in as part of my final hand in. In terms of professional ability, I think that the book doesn’t represent me as a book maker; but in terms of a story teller, I think the book works really well with the project. It is almost like a scrap book of steel workers lives in Sheffield. I decided that I wanted to use a poem at the start of the book by the famous poet Geoffrey Chaucer because it shows how prominent and exciting the steel trade was in terms of development for the city.
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14/02/2018
Comparing with a professionalI have decided to compare my work with that of Graham Dunn because we are both from Sheffield and both represent Sheffield in a very different way. While I have focused a lot on the urban side of Sheffield, Dunn focuses very much so on the Suburbs and the rural area of Sheffield such as the Peak District. Whilst I am trying to tell a story and document Sheffield steel, he is trying to portray Sheffield and the Peak District as beautifully as he can. I like Dunn’s work, although his images are slightly over processed for my liking and his editing is a little bit off, I think some of the images he takes are exceptional. While looking at his portfolio, as opposed to his other work, you can tell he is a very talented photographer and his work in relation to the sun and light is very well considered. I find it interesting how the same place can be very differently represented, but I like the way I have shot my project and I did consider the Peak District for my main project but decided to follow a story instead.
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12/02/2018
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Planning exhibitionPlanning an exhibition is a much longer process than picking a few images and printing them. You have to plan what images work well together to form a narrative, pick one big print that looks stunning, will print well and also tells the story well. I have chosen this image as my final print because it represents Sheffield very well. 2 rivers running in conjunction with each other, industrial estate and green land. I also think that the final print of this would look stunning because it has a solid focus point in the water and the tree and also has nice colours in the sky with the blue and the pinks. I debated printing the bottom right image as my final image as I think that the mysteriousness of the night adds an edge to the image. The midnight blue of the sky and the orange hint of the sunset makes for a truly beautiful skyline that shows the diversity of Sheffield. Cranes and industrial estate, buildings and civilisation and then finally the hills. I think that the prints of all of these images will be strong and tell an interesting story of my home city.
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10/02/2018
Book in progressCreating a book proves quite difficult when you have to make it by hand and with scissors and glue. I feel like I am 10 again. I had this idea because I wanted to make a book for this module to contextualise all of the images, I wanted to make it by hand because it was more unique and rustic. I have decided to start the book with a poem that I came across by Geoffrey Chaucer, a very famous English poet. I think that a poem or a quote is always a great way to put into context what your book is about, but written by somebody else. I have then decided to have writing on every single page to contextualise why the image is there and what purpose it serves to help the book develop. I have many images that I really like and they help to tell the story, but potentially wont make the book. I may look to include these on some of the back pages so that I can show some of my best work without it distracting from the story.
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08/02/2018
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Shoot 5Shoot 5 was one of the more enjoyable shoots for this project, as I wasn't congested with other people, cars or anything. It was just me and the entirety of the peak district. I headed to the peak district after it showed in Sheffield because I wanted images of hills surrounding Sheffield as they were a huge part of the Sheffield steel industry. I took a bus to the edge of Matlock and worked my way through by walking for hour. I came across lakes, roads and different hills that I'd have never seen, nor expected of a place just on the doorstep of my house. I took about 10 images of very minimalistic, flat landscapes and I think that they would exhibit extremely well together. However, I don't think that many of the images I took really fitted well with the project, despite how much I liked them. After the peak district, I took a bus to Meadowhall, a place that thrived because of the rich steel industry and the boom of the population because of the amount of jobs in Sheffield.
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06/02/2018
City centre shooting is hardSheffield is the 5th biggest city in the UK and although it is a fun place to live and work in, it is near impossible to shoot important infrastructures around the city. People, cars, blockages; everything to put you off and stop shooting in a city will happen. Cutlers hall, opposite the town hall in Sheffield was a huge producer of cutlery during the steel industry. However, shooting it well was impossible as there were people walking in front of me and behind me. There was also the same car there 3 days in a row; I don't know if they worked there or just knew I was trying to take a picture. Roads were also incredibly hard to shoot how I wanted them because, apart from at night, the roads in Sheffield are always busy. The building in the bottom right was an extremely important building on an extremely important street in Sheffield and there was literally just no space to shoot it. I also didn't have access to a wider lens and therefore had to crop the top of the building. I did however shoot 3 images in landscape to produce a wide image of it, incase I wanted to exhibit it.
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04/02/2018
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Making a (scrap) book?Because I am taking so many photos for this project, i have come to the decision that I will make a little book to contextualise everything I have shot. Although I have a blog and my own words, I think it would be nice to hand in a scrap book of work to contextualise everything. I made the decision to make it a scrap book and use cutting and sticking because I love hand made things, especially in arts and photography. Being from Sheffield and as steel is in my family, I think that for a viewer to see something photographed and then hand made by somebody from Sheffield would be a great idea because it brings to life my experiences and also the experience of Sheffield itself. It is also a unique way to present my work, as opposed to paying for a professional book made by somebody else. I will use a black professional book as the base and then will simply stick and cut things I want in the book with a bit of writing about the place and the images.
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02/02/2018
Shoot 4Setting out with my fourth shoot with a route to a few different places, as I learnt a lot about my home city was certainly an eye opener for me because I found so many new places that I didn't know existed. The canal in the centre of Sheffield is actually very well hidden and it took me a while to find it. When I finally found it, it was a very peaceful place with a few little shops and cafes and I decided that I wanted to shoot it high up so I climbed up a wall to shoot it. I think that the results of this are really nice and I enjoyed shooting it as it was a lovely day and little disturbance in the water and I think that it helped to create some nice images. On my walk to Kelham island, I discovered a building I have never seen before; Tho's W. Ward Ltd. And as I stopped to google what it was about, I found that it had actually helped massively during the steel industry and decided to photograph the rivers flowing past it and a few different angles of the place itself.
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31/01/2018
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Plan for shoot 4Sheffield and Tinsley canal is a canal in the centre of Sheffield, It runs 3.9 miles (6.3 km) from Tinsley, where it leaves the River Don, to the Sheffield Canal Basin in the city centre, passing through 11 locks. Sheffield is on the River Don, but the upper reaches of the river were not navigable. In medieval times, the goods from Sheffield had to be transported overland to the nearest inland port – Bawtry on the River Idle. Later, the lower reaches of the Don were made navigable, but boats could still not reach Sheffield and thus called for a canal to be built. I will also be walking from the canal to a part of Kelham island that was a major producer of steel, tools and cutlery; Princess street, home of the old Brown-Firth research laboratories. Brown-Firth came about when two steel making companies formed one. John Brown & Company and Thomas Firth & Sons reached an agreement in 1902. And it was here, in 1912 that they developed high chrome stainless steel. Princess street also hosts many industrial shops and a lot of history. On the walk to Kelham island, there are a few historical points for Sheffield steel that I will also photograph. Including the River Don and Tho's W. Ward Limited.
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28/01/2018
Shoot 3During shoot 3, I went to the area surrounding Hillsborough stadium, including the river Don, River Loxely and the River Revelin. River Loxely is perhaps one of the most prominent rivers in the city, as it flows through Damflask reservoir (previously photographed) and also joins river Revelin under Malin bridge, just south of Hillsborough stadium, and then proceeding to flow into the River Don. River Loxely was said to provide the initial course that caused the great Sheffield flood. I decided to photograph Hillsborough as it is a big steel building in the middle of an industrial part of Sheffield and I found it very interesting how this iconic stadium stands in-between three rivers that helped the steel trade thrive. I decided to shoot the rivers with slow shutter speeds to show how they are fast flowing and free, pivotal to the steel trade as they had to power machinery and also help with transport. I will also photograph Brammal lane as they symbolise the steel industry as well as Hillsborough.
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26/01/2018
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Too late for B&W?Landscape photography mainly highlight the natural beauty of any place. Adams takes landscape pictures in black and white and in many ways this can be very effective. I believe black and white pictures are effective because there are many different ways to interpret the picture. The viewer has different views on what colours there might be in the photograph and how happy or sad it looks. Black and white is essential to so many photographers and so many different shots that in some cases, we can't even imagine the image in colour. This is a debate I have with myself every single time I set out to shoot a project. Yes, there are positives and negatives to both but there is something so beautiful about black and white landscapes, and because colour is not important in my project, I think that I could shoot this project in black and white if I wanted to. However, as much as I love Ansel Adams and various other photographers who shoot in black and white, I think that I will be sticking to colour because of the versatility of it. I think colour is also a very powerful concept in landscape photography, especially if you are photographing the deterioration of land, or the weather because you can see the colour of the sky and the ground change over time.
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23/01/2018
Representation vs realityWhen I talk to people about Sheffield, I always have the same conversation with them. "Is it still poor from when Thatcher was in charge", "what happens now the mines have shut", "is it still industrial" and so on, and usually I bring up the fact that Sheffield is actually a beautiful, well developed city now. The bottom 2 images are from my 'Lowedges' book where I shot a story around my home for the last 20 years and the stereotype of Sheffield shines through. Industrial, poor and not very picturesque. However, this is on the outskirts of the city and since living in Sheffield, the centre and the surrounding areas have developed immensely. Usually I will also mention the peak district, Ladybower, the parks, the rivers, Kelham Island and so on. I think it is important in landscape photography to document your truth, not everybody elses truth. How do YOU feel about the landscape and how do you want to photograph it. I will focus on trying to document my Sheffield as opposed to other people's views.
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20/01/2018
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Nico GooddenA complete contrast to the work of Benjamin Graham, Goodden focuses on the Urban side of landscape photography, in particular old buildings and industrial sites. Goodden shoots mainly in London and claims to shoot "the views and famous landmarks you thought you knew but shot in an alternative way" and this is something I will hopefully take inspiration from when shooting my project because I really like his work. I think that a few of his images are way too contrasty but they work with what he is trying to produce. I like the idea of shooting landscapes completely differently to what one normally would. Shaking the tripod, shooting through fog and generally just breaking all of the 'rules' of landscape photography, Goodden's work is something I look to to try and imitate slightly. Although he focuses mainly on cityscapes and I will be shooting nature and rivers, something like this would be interesting to look at as it will be completely different to everybody's work and will gain interest. While shooting the centre of Sheffield I will look at these techniques.
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17/01/2018
'Minimalistic'"Amidst all the distractions and commotions of my existence, it surely took its time to evolve and emerge as an interconnected, cohesive body of work. But I now know that it was an inevitable life consequence because, deep down, like an enduring fragment of my spirit, photography has always been there over the decades, possessing me with its challenges, catharses and fulfilments". Artsy and interesting words from Benjamin Graham but do minimalistic landscapes have a place in my project? Could I somehow document industrial Sheffield without it being gritty and straight to the point? If I find an individual photograph to focus on, maybe I will produce something like this but I much prefer the idea of gritty, to the point images with industrial landscapes and things in the image that help with the story. Although visually pleasing, these images don't speak much to me.
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14/01/2018
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Shoot 2I wanted to focus on the hills an resevoirs of Sheffield in this shoot and headed outside of the city to discover things I didn't know had played a part in Sheffield's history. Damflask reservoir lies west of the centre of Sheffield in the Loxley valley close to the village of Low Bradfield and within the city's boundaries. The reservoir has a capacity of 4,250.9 million litres and has a surface area of 116 acres with a maximum depth of 27 metres. The dam wall is approximately 400 metres. Damflask was built to supply both fresh drinking water and a guaranteed supply of running water to the population and industries of Sheffield, particularly the steel industry. I also photographed the area where the Sheperd wheel was once prominent, a place where workers used a wheel to power their sharpening devices for cutlery. I also photographed the hills of Sheffield, which have provided iron and coal to the industry, proving pivotal for the production of steel in Sheffield.
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11/01/2018
Plan for shoot 2My big plan for shoot 2 is to focus on the hills and the landscapes surrounding old mines and documenting what would have happened if we carried on producing as much steel. Iron Age hill forts in the area such as Carl Wark on Hathersage Moor to the southwest of Sheffield, and one at Scholes Wood, near Rotherham. The rivers Sheaf and Don may have formed the boundary between the territory of the Brigantes and that of a rival tribe called the Corieltauvi who inhabited a large area of the northeastern Midlands. I would like to focus on Carl Wark because this is in the peak district, along with other mines and various artefacts that formed the modern day Sheffield. The Peak District is something that I take huge interest in as it is photographically beautiful and there is without doubt history within the peak district which I can photograph.
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07/01/2018
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Medium format vs full frameA long debate I have been having with myself is over the use of medium format cameras or full frame DSLRs for my landscape module. Although my first shoot (which I like the look of) was shot on a full frame, I am starting to drift away from the idea of digital and focus on film as I prefer the quality and the processing of it. However, the idea that it could all go wrong and you could lose the shoot is holding me back. I like digital and I like the fact that a full frame DSLR can give me a big enough file for printing quality. These images were taken on full frame at about 4pm in winter in Sheffield. The lighting is perfect for what I want to achieve and the water is still, there is no distractions in many of the images and hopefully focuses on the point of the project. I will be heading back to Sheffield 2 or 3 more times to shoot this project and the next time I will be focusing on the hills and the reservoirs of Sheffield
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04/01/2018
Shoot 1Shoot 1, Sheffield. I wanted to spend a lot of time with the rivers within Sheffield because I think that they speak volumes about how Sheffield has developed and what it used to be. I spent about 2 hours following the River Sheaf, Sheffield's main river and water source. It was used to power water wheels all around the city that in turn helped to power other things that helped with steel. Since the steel industry, we have built around the rivers and there is not many places on the River Sheaf where it is not surrounded with buildings and houses. It has become somewhat a tourist attraction as opposed to the job role it used to have. Although it is still beautiful on the landscape, it tells a much different story to what it used to. I find it interesting how it divides in a few parts and it looks like the place it divides are man made, I will try and look more into this and see if there is actually a reason behind why they divide the rivers. For my next shoot I will hopefully be heading into the hills of Sheffield and discovering more about the landscape than I know already. I am hoping to get a complete cityscape to introduce the project and can get this if I go to an abandoned ski village in Sheffield. I will head to the peak district and the 7 hills. I will also start looking into places like Ladybower and their role in the steel industry.
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02/01/2018
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Structures or landscapes?I have probably being spending way too long thinking about wether I want to shoot structures of steel buildings no the Sheffield landscape, or I want to shoot things that helped with the development of the steel industry in Sheffield. I think that I have finally made my mind up and want to shoot the landscapes surrounding the steel industry. Things such as rivers, reservoirs, industrial sites and hills that were used to be mined. I think that with context, the landscapes would be really interesting as opposed to industrial landscapes. In Sheffield we have a lot of big structures made out of steel; the football stadiums, Meadowhall, the cheese grater building just to name a few. I want to follow the routes of the rivers and shoot along them to see if there is anything of interest down them. I also want to head into the peak district and find historic old mines that are no longer in use. I want to show in this project how things have changed in Sheffield over the years from industrial town to booming city.
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29/12/2017
Test shoot (field lecture)For our final field lecture, we headed towards Bristol to the Severn bridge and a construction site on the docks of Bristol. Knowing that we would be near steel structures that have an impact on the environment, I wanted to shoot some test shots for my project, if I was going down the route of shooting steel structures on the landscape as opposed to shooting how steel was made. The Severn bridge, deemed as the new economic era for South Wales is an impossible to miss structure over the river and has both physical appearance and a great history of how it has affected human life and transport. Some would argue that it ruins the natural landscape, yet some will argue that it plays a pivotal role in helping England and Wales connect commercially. I took more interest in the dock site that we visited as I thought that the cranes piled up made for an awesome photo opportunity. If I was going to shoot steel structures around England, I would definitely re-visit this site and spend some serious time producing a great photograph.
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26/12/2017
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Kelham IslandKelham Island is one of Sheffield's eleven designated Quarters. Formerly an industrial area, the island itself was created by the building of a goit (artificial water source dug in the ground) , or mill race, fed from the River Don to serve the water wheels powering the workshops of the areas' industrial heyday. The quarter was named after the island, however, the boundaries extend beyond the physical island created by the river and goit. The Quarter is roughly diamond in shape, and is bordered by Shalesmoor and Gibraltar Street to the south-west; Corporation Street to the south-east; Mowbray Street, Harvest Lane and Neepsend Lane to the north-east, and Ball Street and Cornish Street to the north-west. The Cornish Place Works sit just outside this quarter, to the north-west. Green Lane and Alma Street form the main spine roads of the area. The Green Laneand the Brooklyn Works are both important industrial heritage sites. A great deal of urban regeneration is evident in this area, as residential and social uses are mixed into this former industrial area. I will be photographing a lot around Kelham Island and will also use the museum as part of my research to learn more about the steel industry and industrial Sheffield. I will also have conversations with my grandparents about it.
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23/12/2017
5 Rivers, 7 hillsSheffield is said to be built on seven hills. But which and where are these hills? Over the years there have been several attempts to say which hills are the seven hills. Here I will add to the debate by saying what I think the seven hills are. An important factor that is often overlooked is that one must take account of exactly when the phrase became common usage. Sheffield's borders have expanded over the years, so it is reasonable to assume that the "seven hills" are hills within the borders of Sheffield when the phrase became common.The earliest reference I have to seven hills is George Orwell's Road to Wigan Pier, written in 1936. In it he writes: The town is very hilly (said to be built on seven hills, like Rome) and everywhere streets of mean little houses blackened by smoke run up at sharp angles, paved with cobbles which are purposely set unevenly to give horses etc, a grip. Sheffield extended its borders several times in the early 20th century. From 1900 to 1921 the borders, with some adjustments, were as shown on the following map:
I will try and capture the 7 hills in my project although there is much controversy to which ones they actually are. |
21/12/2017
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What to shootSheffield was one of the main steel producers because of its fortunate location. Positioned pretty much in the centre of England with 5 (some claim 7) rivers flowing through it, that could be used for power and a solid supply to produce other things such as transport. It is also surrounded by hills and woodland to supply coal, iron and other valuable materials that could be used and sourced locally. I will be focusing on the production of steel and how it was made possible by the landscape. I will photograph rivers, hills and generally important locations for steel to be made. I have a list of many things I will try and capture. One of them being the Dale Dike reservoir which was built during the time Sheffield produced a lot of steel so that we could guarantee a solid supply of fresh water. I will also focus a lot on Sheffield Forgemasters and Kelham Island, which were two very important sites. Forgemasters produced huge steel frames and beams that could be shipped anywhere and Kelham island was a big industrial site that produced and hosted things like the Sheperd wheel.
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18/12/2017
Steel CityThe history of Sheffield, a city in South Yorkshire, England, can be traced back to the founding of a settlement in a clearing beside the River Sheaf in the second half of the 1st millennium AD. The area now known as Sheffield had seen human occupation since at least the last ice age, but significant growth in the settlements that are now incorporated into the city did not occur until the Industrial Revolution. As my home town, I feel slightly attached to this city and its origins, I want to learn more about where I am coming from and what it used to be. As somebody who has lived for 20 years in the city and watched as the city centre developed into one of the biggest and most impressive cityscapes in the U.K, I want to document where the money used to come from and how outdated the steel industry has become in Sheffield now. Although they still produce Steel, it is nowhere near as what it once was.
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16/12/2017
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Field presentationsThis is Thomas Telford's Road bridge at OverFarm, Gloucester. One of many Thomas Telford bridges around the country. Gloucester was founded in AD97 by the Romans under Emperor Nerva, and has always been a prominent business sector and historically prominent in the aerospace industry. It also lies at the 1st point the Severn can be easily crossed, which was good for the settlement of a town. After the withdrawal of the Roman emperor in the 4th century, the town returned to the control of the Anglo-Saxons. Telford/ Over Bridge was built by Telford in the 1800s to carry traffic East to West and it remained in use until 1974 when the Severn bridge was built. The Severn bridge was the lowest point downstream that the Severn could be crossed by road bridge. Today, Telford bridge is pedestrian only and is a 'scheduled ancient monument' which means it is a nationally important archaeological site. I think that it now represents British heritage and the importance of the Roman Empire.
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14/12/2017
Field workThis field lecture was a very interesting and eye opening one due to the fact that I learnt so much about the unfamiliar English landscape. When you look at a landscape, you never think of its history and this is what the module is helping you to achieve. When you look at anything, how often do you stop and think how humans have affected that place? I particularly like the top image in Witcombe because it shows possibly the most diverse area you may come across. To the left, there is the forest of dean, near the centre there is the Severn Vale, in the distance there is May Hill, in the very far distance (you can't see in the cloud) there are the welsh mountains and the Moore Welsh Hills, and to the right hand side we have the Cotswolds and the Malvern Hills. A huge variation into the English landscape, where coal was formed, rivers flowed freely and roads were built for transportation. Our tutor also helped us to understand the history of the place in front of us by finding various different rocks that highlighted different eras. Arrow heads and other various weapons were found on site and even some fossils of animals that used to live here. It was interesting to know why they no longer live here and it is usually because of human settlement.
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11/12/2017
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William Kent William Kent (c. 1685 – 12 April 1748) was an eminent English architect, landscape architect and furniture designer of the early 18th century. Kent introduced the Palladian style of architecture into England with the villa at Chiswick House, and for originating the 'natural' style of gardening known as the English landscape garden at Chiswick, Stowe House in Buckinghamshire, and Rousham House in Oxfordshire. As a landscape gardener he revolutionised the layout of estates, but had limited knowledge of horticulture.
He complemented his houses and gardens with stately furniture for major buildings including Hampton Court Palace, Chiswick House, Devonshire House and Rousham. It is important to know the environmental impact of British architects because you never know when you are looking at something man made or natural. I find it interesting how we can mould nature out of anything we want and not make it look superficial. |
08/12/2017
Frederick Law OlmstedFrederick Law Olmsted (April 26, 1822 – August 28, 1903) was an American landscape architect, journalist, social critic, and public administrator. He is popularly considered to be the father of American landscape architecture. Olmsted was famous for co-designing many well-known urban parks with his senior partner Calvert Vaux, including Central Park in New York City, Golden Gate Park in San Fransisco and Elm Park in Worcester, Massachusetts, considered by many to be the first municipal park in America. Where would New York be without Central Park? Where would the world be without landscape architects? How long will their work last? Central park is probably the most famous park in the world and is one of the biggest examples of man made environments and will have this impact much longer than we will live. Why is Central park so pleasing though? The idea of nature thriving within a large compact city or just the beauty of getting away from the packed streets of New York?
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05/12/2017
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Capability Brown Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown changed the face of eighteenth century England, designing country estates and mansions, moving hills and making flowing lakes and serpentine rivers, a magical world of green In 1741 he reached Stowe, Buckinghamshire where he rapidly assumed responsibility for the execution of both architectural and landscaping works in the famous garden. It was at Stowe in 1744 that Brown married Bridget Wayet, with whom he eventually had nine children.Lancelot Brown was baptised on 30 Aug 1716 at Kirkharle, Northumberland, the fifth of the six children of William Brown, a yeoman farmer and Ursula, née Hall, who had worked in the big house on the Kirkharle estate . He went to the village school at Cambo, and then began work as a gardener at Kirkharle, leaving in 1739. While at Stowe, Brown also began working as an independent designer and contractor and in autumn 1751, he was able to move with his family to the Mall, Hammersmith, the market garden area of London. I think that it is important to look at the work of landscape architects because they have an incredibly important job in shaping the landscape around us. Not only houses and bridges, but as Brown does, he changes everything and this could have an affect on the landscape for hundreds and thousands of years.
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02/12/2017
Gabriele BasilicoGabriele Basilico (Milano 1944-2013) is one of today's best known documentary photographers in Europe. Cities and industrial landscapes are his fields of investigation.
Trained as an architect, he takes photographs of pieces of architecture and works for publishers, industrial concerns, public and private institutions. In 1983 the PAC in Milano presented his first important exhibition "Milano, ritratti di fabbriche". In 1984 and 1985, he took part in the D.A.T.A.R. photographic mission, following the French government's initiative, to document the changes in the national landscape of the time. He was then invited to participate in many similar projects in different European countries : Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Holland, Austria... In 1990, he was awarded the "Grand Prix International du Mois de la Photo ( International Great Prize of the Photography Month) thanks to "Porti di mare" shown in Paris, a photographic research on various seaports. His work really interests me as he tends to photograph what used to be beautiful architecture that has since been abandoned or run down. I think his works documents the development of human society and how we move on to 'better' things very quickly, and forget about the things we leave behind. The fact that there are so many abandoned buildings highlights the fact that there is too much money in the modern world. We move out of buildings and then don't want to pay for the destruction of it. It shows how money has had a huge effect on humans since it was introduced. |
30/11/2017
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Fay GodwinFay Goodwin is an American artist and landscape photographer. She was educated at various schools all over the world. In 1958, she settled down to live in London. In 1966 she became interested in photography through photographing her young children. With no training. In 1975, she had a publication of her first co-author book, The Oldest Road, with writer J.R.L. Anderson. She then had exhibitions from the series toured nationally. In 1978 she was the recipient of major award from Arts Council of Great Britain to continue landscape work in British Isles, much of which is included in Land. 1984 Start of British Councils overseas tour of Landscape Photographs. I find her work interesting because in most of her landscapes, there are people or animals involved, especially in her book 'Landmarks', as you don't really see living things in landscapes, I think that this makes her stand out from other photographers and gives me something to consider while shooting. Why are there no animals? Why are the animals here? Is it something to do with human settlement or something that nature has crafted itself?
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27/11/2017
Proposal
The use of coal has been one of the UK’s biggest forms of fuel since the 17th century and has since provided homes with warmth and transport with fuel. However, the mining of fuels such as coal come with a major impact on the UK landscape.
The environmental impact of the coal industry includes issues such as land use, waste management, water and air pollution, caused by the coal mining, processing and the use of its products. In addition to atmospheric pollution, coal burning produces hundreds of millions of tons of solid waste products annually, including fly ash, bottom ash, and flue-gas desulfurization sludge, that contain mercury, uranium, thorium, arsenic, and other heavy metals. Coal mining in the United Kingdom dates back to Roman times and occurred in many different parts of the country. Britain's coalfields are associated with Northumberland and Durham, North and South Wales, Yorkshire, the Scottish Central Belt, Lancashire, Cumbria, the East and West Midlands and Kent.. After 1970, coal mining quickly collapsed and practically disappeared in the 21st century. The consumption of coal – mostly for electricity – fell from 157 million tonnes in 1970 to 37 million tonnes in 2015 by which year most of the supplies were imported.
I have taken interest in coal mining because of the effect that it has let on the UK environment even though it has less use in the modern era. I will hopefully visit coal mines and areas where coal still exists to discuss what would have happened if we continued in the coal era and used it more and more, would there be much of our countryside left? Would our air be more polluted? How would our landscape have altered? I will take a big interest in the affect that it has and hasn’t had on Yorkshire as it is my home county, I take great pride in the area and great interest in its origins. I will hopefully talk to elders and ask them how coal farming has affecting them. I also take great interest in the steel industry in Sheffield and how this has come about and altered our landscape, which I will also look at and use as a backup.
The environmental impact of the coal industry includes issues such as land use, waste management, water and air pollution, caused by the coal mining, processing and the use of its products. In addition to atmospheric pollution, coal burning produces hundreds of millions of tons of solid waste products annually, including fly ash, bottom ash, and flue-gas desulfurization sludge, that contain mercury, uranium, thorium, arsenic, and other heavy metals. Coal mining in the United Kingdom dates back to Roman times and occurred in many different parts of the country. Britain's coalfields are associated with Northumberland and Durham, North and South Wales, Yorkshire, the Scottish Central Belt, Lancashire, Cumbria, the East and West Midlands and Kent.. After 1970, coal mining quickly collapsed and practically disappeared in the 21st century. The consumption of coal – mostly for electricity – fell from 157 million tonnes in 1970 to 37 million tonnes in 2015 by which year most of the supplies were imported.
I have taken interest in coal mining because of the effect that it has let on the UK environment even though it has less use in the modern era. I will hopefully visit coal mines and areas where coal still exists to discuss what would have happened if we continued in the coal era and used it more and more, would there be much of our countryside left? Would our air be more polluted? How would our landscape have altered? I will take a big interest in the affect that it has and hasn’t had on Yorkshire as it is my home county, I take great pride in the area and great interest in its origins. I will hopefully talk to elders and ask them how coal farming has affecting them. I also take great interest in the steel industry in Sheffield and how this has come about and altered our landscape, which I will also look at and use as a backup.
24/11/2017
Darren AlmondDarren Almond is interested in time, place, personal history, and collective memory. He makes sculptures, films, photographs, and works on paper based on his extensive travels, which often take him to remote locations—his film In the Between, 2006, which focuses on the symbolic nature of the highest train route in the world, was shot on location in China and Tibet. Almond has developed his own lexicon in photography, making extraordinary pictures using only the light of the full moon. Almond's work touches on many different landscapes both social and beautiful. I like how his work reflects the environment around us but maintains a sense of minimalism. In my work, I look to document the project very minimalistic so that the viewer can focus on what I am wanting to say with my photos instead of getting confused and focusing on other things. Almond seemingly shoots in the early hours of the morning to get nice light and a bit of fog, which I think works really well for his work. I think that if you analysed his work, you could learn a lot about the environment, especially where the water has/ would've been. I like Almond's work and will use him as inspiration if I am to shoot landscapes in rural areas as apposed to cityscapes.
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21/11/2017
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FrackingFracking is the process of drilling down into the earth before a high-pressure water mixture is directed at the rock to release the gas inside. Water, sand and chemicals are injected into the rock at high pressure which allows the gas to flow out to the head of the well. The process can be carried out vertically or, more commonly, by drilling horizontally to the rock layer and can create new pathways to release gas or can be used to extend existing channels. The term fracking refers to how the rock is fractured apart by the high pressure mixture. Fracking is highly controversial and something that I gained interesting in when seeing a protest and seeing documentary photographs taking interest in the protests too. If I was to photograph this, I would photograph planned fracking sites, old fracking sites and fracking in progress. I would also photograph the potential damage it had caused on the environment. For example, if there were a lack of trees and wildlife around the area due to them being chopped down/ moved due to lack of space, then I would photograph that area. I think that this idea has some great potential and although the access could be more difficult, the results would be better.
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19/11/2017
Mass consumerismA United Nations report has identified the world's rapidly growing herds of cattle as the greatest threat to the climate, forests and wildlife. And they are blamed for a host of other environmental crimes, from acid rain to the introduction of alien species, from producing deserts to creating dead zones in the oceans, from poisoning rivers and drinking water to destroying coral reefs. The 400-page report by the Food and Agricultural Organisation, entitled Livestock's Long Shadow, also surveys the damage done by sheep, chickens, pigs and goats. But in almost every case, the world's 1.5 billion cattle are most to blame. Livestock are responsible for 18 per cent of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming, more than cars, planes and all other forms of transport put together. If I was to photograph this, I would visit many places such as cattle farms, slaughter houses and petting zoos. I would look into how they live and take landscapes of the fields or housing that they are kept in. I would also like to use a drone to shoot from a huge herd of cows. As we are in Gloucestershire, there are many cattle farms around the area and access shouldn't be very hard.
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16/11/2017
Initial thoughts
My initial thoughts for this project was to focus on the global impact of humans on the planet. I wanted to consider something along the lines of C02 emissions, fracking and mining. I found it interesting how cattle farming has been an increasing problem to the world's pollution and this is due to mass consumerism of it. The simple thing to do would to stop producing it as much and make it more expensive to buy, but because people are making so much money from it. there is no way it will stop. I found it interesting looking into how big companies and the government priorities money so much more than human and the world's health. Just like fracking, a development that actually could damage human health massively and has been known to cause loss of life, yet we still do it for the possibility that we will make a lot of money. I want to delve into these issues more and discover why we don't prioritise human health over anything else.