Landscape Evaluation

For this assignment I had to photograph landscapes in and around Hartlepool with a 5x4 camera. I was given a demonstration on how to use the equipment and how to use the chemicals in the processing room and another demonstration on how to use the equipment in the dark room. I researched some landscape photographers to see what they photographed where they photographed and to see what these photographers think is a landscape. The photographers I liked were Eugene Atget, Edward Burtinsky, Axel Hutte, Robert Adams, Nicholas Nixon, Joe Deal, John Davies, Fraank Gohlke and Ed Ruscha. The photographer who inspired me was Eugene Atget and how he took photographs looking down the street or photographs looking at old shops.

I took my photographs in and around Church Square in Hartlepool and the Headland, the photographs were taken on the beach facing the steelworks and boats. Other photographs were taken of a church and garden a statue and a street name.

I had to take ten photographs all together and give five final photographs that I liked. When I first started the shoot  a few of the images did not come out correctly at all, so I had reshoot the photographs

When I first started using the camera I found it very confusing to use at first and I was given a demonstration on how to load the film in the dark slides. I had to first do a test shot using the camera and see how it works. I then had to go and do the developing and timing on my negatives I found it a bit difficult at first because I was in a dark room and I couldn’t see anything so I had to feel around for the different tanks and use the clock on the wall to see the time but after a few tries I got the hang of it and it was easier from there.

My final images are of the Headland beach, the church in the Headland, the statue in Church square, Whitby Street and Hodgson’s

When I first started to use the enlarger my first test strips and prints came out black and I kept leaving the timer on to long and eventually I had to use less time for my prints to come out correctly. The more time I used on my prints the darker they were so I used less time on my prints and they came out right. I used less time on my prints because some of my negatives were either to dark or to light.

I’m happy with the way my final prints have come out.