Author: Angelina

The reason I chose these three photos as my final selection is because they show both what I’m doing well and where I can grow in my photography. I focused on capturing abstract shapes, textures, and angles in industrial and architectural places, like tight shots of metal, concrete, or shadows. When you put the three images together, they feel connected—almost like a story or a theme. I think I did a good job making them look bold and graphic, but next time, I want to work on adjusting the exposure to make some areas darker. This could add more drama and depth, especially in the shadows, which might make the textures pop even more.

Looking at my work now, I linked it to Aaron Siskind, which is the artist that I wanted to look similar to. His photos focus on shapes, patterns, and emotions, almost like paintings. My photos try to do something similar. Siskind’s work uses strong contrast between light and dark, which is something I want to experiment with more. Maybe if I darken the exposure in future shots, my photos could feel moodier and closer to his style, while still keeping my own focus on industrial subjects.

Overall, I’m proud of how these three photos turned out as a set. They show my eye for finding beauty in gritty, man-made spaces. But connecting my work to artists like Siskind reminds me that photography isn’t just about what you see—it’s about how you feel it. I’ll keep practicing to make my technical choices, such as exposure,  match the emotion I want to share.

The reason of selecting these 5 pictures is because that many photos emphasize strong geometric elements, such as grids, lines, and repetitive structures (e.g., 4422, 4522, 5322). These pictures are considered to create visually engaging compositions that highlight abstraction in industrial design which impacts the audience.

The selected photos in green light appear to focus on industrial structures and architectural elements, emphasizing abstraction, geometry, and texture. For instance images like 4422 and 4522 highlight strong linear elements. The selection of the images avoid the inclusive of individuals or natural landscapes, and well demonstrated the abstract structure.

Five Characteristics of Siskind’s Work:

1. Extreme Close-Ups of the wall/environment.
2. High Contrast – Bold blacks and whites to emphasize texture and drama.
3. Flatness – The photographs taken appear two-dimensional, creating abstract “canvases” for the audience
4. Organic vs. Geometric – Contrasts chaotic textures such as the peeling walls with the rigid shapes such as the graffiti lines.
5. Emotional Expression – The images feel both chaotic and meditative, leaving mood open to interpretation.

Siskind’s photos are considered to be abstract because they isolate fragments of reality. By removing scale and context, he turns decay into art, asking viewers to focus on shape, light, and emotion rather than literal meaning.

I love how his work finds beauty in decay. The textures feel alive, like landscapes or ancient scripts. His photos are puzzles—you’re forced to slow down and “read” the details and you enjoys the process of doing it.

Quotation by Aaron Siskind:

“Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever… It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.”

My project focuses on the similar themes compared with Siskind’s work, such the stories hidden in abandoned spaces. Like Siskind, I want to zoom in on textures (rusted metal, cracked concrete) to turn decay into something poetic. His work shows how even broken things can hold beauty and mystery.

 

I chose “North Carolina 1951“ because it perfectly shows Siskind’s talent for turning ordinary decay into a piece of art. The photograph looks like a crumbling wall becomes a wild landscape of cracks, shadows, and textures. It’s simple but full of energy, making me stare at every detail of it. The surprising part is how unrecognizable it is at first glance. I wondered: Is it a dried riverbed? A burnt piece of paper? It’s actually just a close-up of a weathered surface, but Siskind’s framing makes it feel special and mysterious. The longer the audience look at it, the more their brain tries to “solve” it, but it stays abstract. Texture is the main thing that let this photo become special. The rough cracks, peeling layers, and gritty grooves make the image feel tactile. Siskind uses texture to create layers. Deep shadows carve into the wall, while lighter areas look like decorations that were meant to be there. Without texture, this would just be a flat, boring wall.

Shadows of Industry

I want my audience to think about how different types of architectures shapes our world, physically and emotionally, and the photo set would mainly be focusing on industrial structures and building. These structures are symbols of human progress, but they also leave scars on the environment and change communities forever.

I want my audience to feel a mix of sense of awe and unease. The sharp angles and shadows should drive their curiosity to explore same types of photography style online, and make them feel interested. I’ll get inspiration by looking for photographs that shows decay and texture in industrial spaces, like rusted metal, cracked concrete, or tangled pipes. Photographers like Bernd and Hilla Becher and Edward Burtynsky will guide me. I’m also inspired by how shadows can turn ordinary objects into dramatic shapes, almost similar to abstract art. Through stark contrasts and forgotten details, I hope to explore more hidden elements in abstract photography and its impact towards the audience.

The ones that worked well

• The zebra worked well by demonstrating horizontal lines. The alternating pattern of stripes is a clear and direct representation.

• The basketball works well by demonstrating the circle shown in the drawing. It’s a simple, recognizable, and universally understood shape.

•   The checkerboard demonstrated the grids drawn, and it demonstrated this element effectively.

• The side of a pyramid works well by demonstrating the triangle.

• Window on a building well demonstrated the square. It’s a simple, recognizable and universally understood shape.

• A close-up of the sprinkles in the image works by demonstrating little dots in the drawing.

• The pyramid worked well to demonstrate the triangle look provided in the drawing.

The other ones such as the book stacks and the pizza slice all demonstrated a decent visual that fits the drawing, however, it all lacked a clear visual connection to the abstract concept. In the future, the images should improve by include more specific and visually compelling pictures.

-Structure of the building
-Architecture style
– Interesting framing technique

If I were the photographer, I would name this work “Ruined Zone.” This is because this photo brings a sense of disorder, and the visual shows the destruction of the building, which creates an unsettled impression for the audience. Therefore, this name suits the best for this image.

This image included multiple formal elements, including lines, shapes, patterns, and tone. The building and the wooden holders demonstrated the lines and shapes to which they are all attached. The lines are mostly straight, and the shapes are geometric, meaning they are artificial. Furthermore, the arrangement of the shapes and lines created patterns that formed a natural landscape in the architecture. Moreover, based on the elements above, this picture generated an overall darker tone.

 

https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/object/104JTD