madison blackwood commision

8/13/2019 Madison Blackwood Commision

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Madison Blackwood

Environment commissionIf humans were truly at home under the light of the moon and

stars, we would go in darkness happily, the midnight world as

visible to us as it is to the vast number of nocturnal species on this

planet. Instead, we are diurnal creatures, with eyes adapted to

living in the sun's light. This is a basic evolutionary fact, even

though most of us don't think of ourselves as diurnal beings any

more than we think of ourselves as primates or mammals or

Earthlings. Yet it's the only way to explain what we've done to the

night: We've engineered it to receive us by filling it with light.Verlyn Klinkenborg


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Concept

My initial aim was to try and produce a set of images that show mans encroachment on nature

and the natural landscape that remains in the suburban areas of Kent, in particular I wanted

to focus on light pollution as I feel it is the forgotten area of pollution in a world that Is ever

more conscious about its levels of waste. I want to represent the landscape as an

afterthought of our society.

I was lead to this concept through the constant reminders of global warming in the media.

Although it would seem there are large levels of scepticism on whether global warming is

happening at the alarming rate the media would like us to believe, I knew that light pollution

was very real as I have witnessed its effects on the world around me for a number of years so

I thought that I would be appropriate for me to further investigate the controversial subject.


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What is light pollution?

Light pollution is wasted light that comes from

man made light sources such as street lights,

interior lighting ,lights from cars and more

which pollutes the night sky by making it

harder to see the true night sky and stars.


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Equipment and processes

Mamiya rz medium format camera

lenses (varying from 90mm-180mm)

Tripod

Cable shutter release

Film (with different isos) Black card

Nikon d90

Torch

Phone

Map

Before I even thought about taking a picture I made a list of equipment I would need

and made note of some processes I would use throughout this project.

Long exposure

Light metering

Using daylight film at night

Camera positioning

Composition

Time management

Printing final images well


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Potential problems

I wanted to outline any problems I could encounter while working through this project

so I made a quick list of things to look out for.

Shooting at night means I need to expose my images well or they will be too dark

Long exposure shots for night photography will need a tripod

Camera shake

Dust on negs would show up on the night sky

I need to focus my images well although it will be very hard as it will be pitch black

Getting around at night

Lack of practice in the darkroom

Money issues

Buying untested film (e6)


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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdIGJNVUwmEI found this short documentary to be extremely

informative. I had watched some videos on ted

regarding pollution but none really helped me to

develop my ideas. The Taylor teaches video makes

some really hard hitting points that I found quite

shocking in terms of how light pollution is actually

effecting wildlife in a huge way.

This video really made me want to show ourimpact on the natural world that surrounds me.

The idea of having light pollution surrounded by

natural areas that have no animals in them really

stuck in my mind.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdIGJNVUwmEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdIGJNVUwmE


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Global warming has been a problem to man kind for many years but the facts are

unclear as to what has happened to the planet and what people predict will

happen to it.

In this report made by the UNsclimate panel the facts and figures concerning globalwarming are put on the table for anyone to see.

(http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg1/#.UqIVlNJdXsa)

Although the report does not directly link its findings

to light pollution it is quite clear that the electricitythat is used to power the lights in question and the

way this electricity is produced has been having an

adverse effect on the planets climate and the results of

this are clear for everyone to see. It is not an easy or

enjoyable read though.
http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg1/http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg1/http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg1/http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg1/http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg1/http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg1/http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg1/http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg1/http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg1/http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg1/http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg1/http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg1/http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg1/http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg1/


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http://www.britastro.org/dark-skies/economic.html

This website had masses of information I found useful to getting an understanding of

how much light pollution is actually wasting in terms of money and resources.

Some of the figures really made me think about how much this type of pollutionneeds to stopped or at least cut down. The link above drove me to make somehard hitting prints that would make people think twice about leaving lights on andso fourth.

110 million-on average 30% of the light from street lights shine upwards andoutwards. The light wasted from the UKs9 million streetlights costs 110 million ayear in electricity bills.

36 million-there are 22 million homes in the UK. If just one in ten has a 500wsecurity floodlight, which is activated for just 1 hour per night, the sum cost is 40million. Since a 50w bulb is sufficient for most domestic applications, the cost of

wasted electricity is 36 million. 880 million-assuming that there twice as many floodlights used in commercial

situations than domestic and these are on all night through out the year.

1 billion the total of the above.
http://www.britastro.org/dark-skies/economic.htmlhttp://www.britastro.org/dark-skies/economic.htmlhttp://www.britastro.org/dark-skies/economic.htmlhttp://www.britastro.org/dark-skies/economic.htmlhttp://www.britastro.org/dark-skies/economic.html


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Political issues surrounding light pollutionI found this article on the telegraph website regarding light pollution and found it relevant and up

to date with my research in to light pollution.

Lyneham in West Oxfordshire, near Chipping Norton, has no street lighting and is currently

considered as one of the best places in the UK for stargazing. But despite protests from the

local community a golf club is putting in four tennis courts floodlit by 24 1,000 watt light

fittings. The light output is more than 100,000 lumens each, meaning it will make it far more

difficult to see the stars at night. Initially the application to allow the tennis courts to go

ahead was refused by West Oxfordshire District Council. But the decision was overturned by

the Planning Inspectorate after the Lawn Tennis Association pointed out the benefits of

sport. The local MP, Prime Minister David Cameron, admitted that the lighting will be seen

from far and near and said he shared the local peoples concerns. "Like you I fully supportthe development of more sports facilities for the many benefits that ensue," he said. "I also

understand your concerns in this case that it is an exposed site and lights will be prominent in

the landscape from far as well as near. Lyneham is in the heart of the Cotswolds Area of

Outstanding Natural Beauty, considered to be the second best place in the country for dark

skies. It has been shown that dark skies help people to sleep and are good for health and

education. The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) has been campaigning for more

consideration of dark skies in the planning rules. The Oxfordshire branch of CPRE also point

out that the courts are unlikely to be used by the residents of Lyneham but by affluent

members of the golf club, meaning more traffic. Mr Cameron suggested that under localism,

local people should be able to decide and even appeal against the inspectorate. He promised

to take up the matter with the Eric Pickles, the Communities Secretary, so more safeguards

are possible and there is more local control so you decide in your community.


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Light temperature chart


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The great fire of London paintingBefore I looked into any photographic artists I wanted to look for historic paintings that contained

light pollution but this was quite tough as man made lights haven't really been documentedwell in terms of painting however I found that paintings of the great fire of London representall I need from a painting pretty much perfectly so I began to analyse one specific painting.

17thcentury painting from an unknown artist.

The painting depicts the great fire of London which happened in 1666.

The painting shows only a small amount of fire however it shows heavy areas of lightpollution in the sky.

I found the colours to be very powerful as they are put against the black backdrop.

The river Thames reflects the vast amount of light which is really interesting and I somehowwanted to replicate this.

The buildings break up the painting and I wanted to try this by using trees and a naturalbarrier.

The painting has slightly elevated viewpoint which lets the viewer look down upon theterrible fire.

The great fire of London happened during a tense time between the throne and republicans


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While searching for everyday peoples thoughts on light pollution I found a page on the Cumbria

sky website (http://cumbriansky.wordpress.com/2012/04/04/the-lights-of-blighty/ ). I found

it very good to read as it was an informal view on the matter and it made me think about

how people actually see light pollution photographically. These images gave me some

primitive ideas and I began looking at some different material for inspiration.

As much as I love pictures of, and from, Mars, Im a sucker for a gorgeous image of Earth too,

especially images showing my part of the planet from orbit, and *especially* from the

International Space Station (ISS). So when I saw this one recently, showing not just an oblique

view of the UK, but some ghostly beams and rays of the aurora borealis too, I was a very

happy camperBut looking at that image, something occurred to meit shows the extent of

light pollution from, and over, the UK now, doesnt it? Every orange dot is a town; every flashof amber a city. All that power being wasted, all that energy just shining up into the sky,

utterly, utterly uselessHowever, the angle the photo was taken from means the UK is very

distorted, and its next to impossible to ID anywhere except the largest population centres I

thought it might be fun to try and manipulate the image so it looked more like an overhead

view, which would then allow us to get a clearer picture of the extent of light pollution here.
http://cumbriansky.wordpress.com/2012/04/04/the-lights-of-blighty/http://cumbriansky.wordpress.com/2012/04/04/the-lights-of-blighty/http://cumbriansky.wordpress.com/2012/04/04/the-lights-of-blighty/http://cumbriansky.wordpress.com/2012/04/04/the-lights-of-blighty/http://cumbriansky.wordpress.com/2012/04/04/the-lights-of-blighty/http://cumbriansky.wordpress.com/2012/04/04/the-lights-of-blighty/http://cumbriansky.wordpress.com/2012/04/04/the-lights-of-blighty/http://cumbriansky.wordpress.com/2012/04/04/the-lights-of-blighty/


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Ori Gersht afterglow(rear window)

Ori Gershts book afterglow stood out to me in two ways, firstly because he is part of uca

rochestster but mainly the name of the book really gravitated me to it. I took the book out of

the library and found it very interesting but this book was also hugely beneficial to my project

as it contained some images I found to be pretty inspirational.

These are the first images I found that actually contain light pollution captured artistically

The images contain nearly nothing but sky

The colours are extremely hard hitting although they are quite neutral/cold

The colours seem to blend into each other.

the images were taken over 2 years from Ori Gershts window of his flat

These images gave me the confidence to try and shoot in my local area.


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Richards Mossey InfraRichard Mossey is a photographer who shot a set of stunning pictures in the eastern Congo, a war

torn part of Africa where gorilla warfare takes place throughout the country on a day to day

basis. The photos from this set are taken on infrared film that transforms the usual colour

spectrum by turning what would normal be lush green flora into red/pink flora.

I wanted to replicate the strange change of colours

The images give a sense of abnormality that I wanted to take forward into my own shots

They make the viewer assess what they like better the natural or the infrared

Intense colours

The landscapes are beautifully composed in my eyes

The land is shown as something alien


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David Maisel Terminal MirageDavid Maisels photos of the salt lakes in Utah carry a similar feel to them as the ones

taken by Richard Mossey as the colours somehow conflict with how you would

normally see lakes. I found myself now being drawn to images that have bold

colours that shouldnt be. I want to link these images to my work by havingsections of colour concentrated in specific areas.

Unexpected colours in what seems a normal place

Elevated view

Natural framing/ areas split into sections Strong bold colours


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Focused on utilising the orange glow to create a mysterious light

Found locations that people see everyday but take no notice of

Tried to create layers/separation within the image with mycomposition

Used the sky to represent the sea in a rough turbulent storm

Tried to shooting from an elevated position

Tried to manipulate my images in terms of colour


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I enjoyed taking my initial shots as they were something I had never tried before and they

seemed to be turning out quite well but the more I looked at them the more I began to seethat they were lacking something. I wasnt quite sure what that something was at first so I

therefore looked into breaking down the images from the photographers that I found

interesting and tried to draw from their work to apply to my own.

Shooting on shutter speeds upwards of 8 seconds was not entirely fun in the middle of winter

but it did give me some really intense colours from the light pollution and the sky. I noticed

that my pictures focused on the colour of the sky and clouds a lot which didnt really give atrue reflection of light pollution as this was best captured in complete darkness whereas I

was tending to shoot as the sun was going down.

As I felt I was quite far into my research and shooting It was important for me to find the

direction I wanted to go to quickly. Once I took a long look at the work I was producing it

dawned on me that I was making my work pictures far to easy to read in a photographic way.

I felt my pictures were too literal by actually showing the lights and were the light pollution was

coming from. I chose to focus on making what I wanted to be the main subject somehow

indirect in the way it is seen. After a while of looking through my researched photographers

images it was clear I needed to work on my framing and composition so I set about rectifying

these points as I moved onto my next set of shots.


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Rut bless Luxemburg

Rut Bless Luxemburg is a German photographer

who is best known for her dark moody almostrusted looking photos of urban scenes at night.

She uses the artificial orange glow that is emitted

from street lights and lights from buildings to

get a dilapidated rusty look. The images first

became quite monotonous to look at as the

colour orange glow seemed to overwhelm andoverpower the other elements of the images. I

found the composition to be well thought out

for urban images.

The image towering inferno that was used by The

streets as the album cover for Original pirate

material in 2002 really struck a cord with me asI brought the album when it first come out and

It felt quite nostalgic in a way to see it again but

in a different context all together. In this image

light almost bleeds from the sources while

simple line and simple composition make it a

really hard hitting image. The main thing I drewfrom this image was its shear simplicity.

D id H k


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David HockneyThe English painter and photographer David Hockney helped me to develop my project in a

positive way as I found his landscape paintings to have bright intense colours andangular lines that break up the paintings, these must have been really abnormal to seewhen they were first shown in the 1960s. He was a part of the pop art movement whichI have researched before in a previous project so I knew that this movement promoted

the use of bright bold colours which is what I wanted to carry into my own work byusing infrared film, however the film I brought didnt turn up in time. I did manage toget hold of some e6 film that requires cross processing that made strange colourednegatives. This turned out to be a avenue I eventually exhausted as I wanted my imagesto stay true to the colours the light pollution was actually producing. These paintingsreally reflect my final pieces in a subtle way and I found them to be more fruitful thanmost of the photos and photographers I looked at.


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Ebru Erulku-Daemmerung

This set of images show familiar and famous parts of London that are normally seen in

a much more normal/everyday type of way but these images have been manipulated

in such a way that they make the landscapes look apocalyptic with strange coloured

clouds engulfing parts of the image. The colours used are unworldly and these

pictures really relate back to the great fire of London painting that I first researched

however I feel less appreciative towards these images as I think they look too stagedand unrealistic, however I do appreciate the work that has gone into them.

Wh I l k d t h t


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Where I looked to shootIt was important for me to find the good balance of natural landscape and built up areas. I found

myself doing the opposite to what I initially thought I was going to do as I was getting better

results the further away from London I went.

The red dots on the map represent places I searched for locations to shoot. I know some of theareas quite well so it made it slightly easier to find good places to shoot.


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Final prints

I was very impressed with how my final prints turned out although they did take

longer than I expected them to. It had been a while since I had done my induction

in the darkroom so it was refreshing to get back in there.

One problem i came across while producing my final prints was that any little spec of

dust or any scratch on the negatives would stick out like a sore thumb on the large

print as most of the image was dark, another thing I found was that the dust wouldmake a small mark in the sky that looked like stars however the true stars had

slightly moved due to the earths orbit while the dust was static so there was some

difference between the two.

The feedback I received when I showed people my final prints was all positive which

was encouraging but one thing that people kept saying was that there seems to

be an element of fire/flames to my image, which I never really saw but I think thiswas a valid point and down to my colour choices.


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Critical appraisal

To evaluate my environment project I would say that my work turned out extremely well however I havefound some areas I will need to work on when I start on my next project. I believe I worked in aefficiently and consistently throughout the project. I can see how I have progressed from my initialideas and pictures right through to my final prints and I have even carried on thinking about how Icould of improved my project even In the closing stages of it.

By finding an concept I felt strongly about to mould my project around made it quite easy for me tocome up with ideas for research for this project. Straight from the start I found myself coming up

with great ideas however I found it hard to gather contextual research regarding light pollution as itis a relatively new problem but when I did find good information it really helped me to confirmwhat I wanted to achieve. My main concerns with my project were the amount of film I shot andthe switch from working in my workbook to a blog. Although I shot quite frequently with my dslr Ifound myself reluctant to shot on film as I felt I might be wasting the film with bad shots which Inow know was a mistake. Making the transfer from writing and sketching in a book to blog entrieshas been the hardest part of this project for me and it is a must for me to amend my blog as soonas possible in future assignment's.

If I were to do this project again I would certainly try to worry less about finding photographers thathave similar images to the ones I want to achieve and try to focus on the elements I actually wantto bring into my shots wether it be painters, films and music. To end this evaluation I would like tothink that my development from start to finish has been the main aspect I am happy with and I lookforward to seeing what I can do next time.

madison blackwood commision

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