I’ve decided to
emulate German photographer Frank Breuer. Breuer focuses on capturing images of
barren landscapes and industrial architecture. He has a series of exhibitions
such as “Poles,” “Containers” or “logos.” He places the subject in the middle
of the frame. He also works with distortion. The background is minimal to
decrease the sense of scale. The skies are near-white which diffuses the
natural light. Breuer chose to shoot mainly on the edges of major cities which
would account for the minimal background in his pictures.
I chose to emulate Breuer because
throughout the semester I have been focused on smaller subjects and haven’t
explored landscapes yet. I knew I wanted to explore industrial or architectural
photography. I want to focus on man-made structures, like buildings, rail
roads, and bridges. So far shooting I have realized a few barriers to my
emulation of Breuer’s work. My first day of shooting I went down to the Mills
in Manchester. I quickly realized that the landscape was very different from
the landscape in Breuer’s shots. He focused on flat, bare landscapes with
minimal objects. New Hampshire has a rougher terrain with many trees and in the
city there are many distractions. I tried to avoid capturing people or cars. I
want to distort the scale of the architecture like Breuer did. I then realized
that trying to avoid human presence in the city meant that I have a limited
time frame to shoot when the general population isn’t out and about. I’m also
working to capture the white skies that Breuer shot. This is relatively easy
because of the reflection off the recent snow we’ve had. I’m planning on going back
to the Mills and exploring more at different times of the day. I think going
back to the same location will help me find creative perspectives.
Bibliography
Breuer, Frank, et
al. Frank Breuer: Poles. Faulconer Gallery, Grinnell College, 2006.
“Frank Breuer.”
Galleryluisotti, galleryluisotti.com/artists/frank-breuer/.
“Frank Breuer.” Vitamin Ph: New
Perspectives in Photography, by Vince Aletti, Phaidon Press., 2006, pp. 42–43.
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