Pastiche Shoot & Final Image

-          Before taking my pastiche I researched different locations where I knew there were large hills overlooking towns, I then looked them up on google maps and research them by looking at other images from the hilltops on google images.

-          I  travelled to a few different locations; particularly Box Hill &Leith Hill over Dorking, Race Hill over Brighton and Cissbury Ring over Findon; however I ended up choosing to photograph from Box Hill (locations of final shoot images marked on map in blue)  as although the other locations had similarly good view there were no trees in the foreground to replicate this conflict between humans and nature. 

-          I chose to shoot the black and white image on a day when the weather was fairly overcast but also relatively early in the morning so that there was a thin mist covering the hills in the background to give a similar effect as the smog blurring the hills into the sky.

-          I had a couple of options for the trees in the foreground, I took shots of all of them so that I could decide later which gave the most similar effect. One set of trees were too alive and full which would not mirror Robert Adams’ message portrayed. Another set were moving in the wrong direction so was not compositionally correct while the final trees were not perfect but I felt depict the same message of humans neglecting nature and the destruction caused while the composition is also correct- the two trees which were a little too close did look very straggly and forlorn.

-          I used a relatively small aperture of around F.8/11 to give a larger depth of field similar to Adams’ image as the trees in the foreground are perfectly in focus very slowly blurring out into the background.

-          I also took the image in the morning so that the sun was just rising over to light up the buildings in the valley while the hilltop is still in relative shadow creating a similar silhouetted look. 

Robert Adams' 'On Signal Hill..'

-          I was able to print my pastiche image today, my final settings were Grade 0- 26 seconds, Grade 2- 9 seconds & Grade 5- 5 seconds. I think the image came out well and as I planned; and does have the same message as Robert Adams' original image. 

My Final Pastiche Image