Research Log

Research Log

Christopher Herwig

Christopher Herwig photographed a range of bus stops in and around Russia. Overall he covered over 30,000km in order to document the hidden pieces of art in Russia. He wanted to show a range of public art and give people an insight into the creative minds in the world.


The image below is of a bus stop in Russia. The photo has been taken using a wide depth of field and incorporates the use of line and colour, specifically green. Herwig has though a lot about the composition of this image as he has made sure the bus stop is in the centre of the image and that there is an even amount of space on each side of the bus stop within the frame of the photo. I also like the incorporation of a person in the image. I think the fact the woman in the photo is minding her own business could be an indication that this is something she sees a lot of the time. I like the connotations that this has of photographers being able to make something which is so normal to many people seem unique and interesting. Also the fact that she is not paying attention to her surroundings could suggest that people take the world around them for granted. I think the photo uses the formal element line very effectively. The entire image is made up on many simple lines at different angles. I like the way the bus stop itself has a slightly slanted roof which looks as though it is being supported by two metal poles. I think that this could be representing strength and power of buildings and different pieces of architecture.

Andre Kertesz

Andre Kertesz captured modern urban life within his photos. In 1925 he moved the Paris, where he became a photojournalist. Within his time in Paris he captured different photos of urban life including images of train platforms. To broaden his career he then moved to New York in 1936. Kertesz wanted to 'give meaning to everything'.


The image above is of a train platform. The photographer has taken the photo looking out of the train platform. The main part of the image that stands out to me is the use of leading lines within the photo and also the harsh contrast within the photo. I like the way the buildings in the background are darker and hen the foreground of the photo is a lot lighter and easier to see. I think that the use of the many different winding train tracks within the photo could represent peoples busy days and the idea that there are many things going through peoples minds during their train journeys. The harsh contrast of the image brings out a lot of detail within the sky which the photographer has created in order to give the image a grainy look. I think that this is effective within this photo because it makes the photo look slightly older and aged. The buildings in the background of the photo are also grainy and slightly out of focus which I like because it draws your attention to the train tracks themselves.

Ed Ruscha

Ed Ruscha completed a series in which he photographed twenty six gasoline stations in America. The series was completed in 1963 and consists of black and white photographs with captions. The photographs are of petrol stations, along the highway between Ruscha’s home in Los Angeles and his parent’s house in Oklahoma City.
The image below is of a gas station with a sign outside stating the name 'phillips 66'. This gives the photo context and allows the viewer to know more about the location of the photo which in Ed Ruscha's case is an important aspect of his images. This is because he took all the photos in this series on a specific highway between his and his parents home. The photo is in black and white with a slightly yellow tone to it. This makes the photo look very dated which reflects the time period in which his photos were taken. Ed Ruscha would not have been able to edit his photos using a computer software like photoshop therefore it is likely he used a darkroom to put a slight tone over the top of the image. Ed Ruscha has used a wide depth of field and has ensured that there is a lot of space surrounding the gas station within the photo. I like the way he has composed this image because this allows you to see the surrounding area and draws you into multiple elements of the photo. The punctum of this image would be the sign. This is because it is slightly isolated from the rest of the image as it is the highest object in the photo.

Richard Hooker

Richard Hooker photographed many different bus stops across London and shot photos of people waiting for their buses to arrive. He captured 136 photos which show London's cultural diversity and explores how people relate to each other for such a small amount of time a day during something so familiar, getting the bus. Richard Hooker said, "Every few minutes of the day, all over the capital, people gather into small groups to share the same space and fleeting moment in time. Simply to wait for something routine and forgettable as a London bus."
The image below is of a bus station in London. The photo has been taken looking directly at the bus stop. The image simply captures people living a normal day in their lives. The photo has connotations of the diverse amount of people who live in London and see each other everyday. This image in particular has connotations of people not being very sociable and minding their own business in social situations. This is because each person is sitting away from each other and there is no communication between the people sitting at the bus stop. I like the use of colour within the photo because Richard Hooker has decided to slightly enhance the saturated colours within the photos. This makes the photo look slightly more modern.

Julien Tatham

Julien Tatham is a French photographer. She photographs people at bus stops but through a murky glass so you cannot see the subject of the photo. This adds an element of anonymity and privacy to the people in the photos. She takes all her photos on a smartphone which she believes gives her more freedom when taking photos. The series is called "Us Stop" and she claims it makes a public space, a bus stop, private again.
The image above is of a woman sitting at a bus stop. The photo has been taken looking through the murky glass on the bus stop. The image is quite dark and has a fairly strong contrast. I think this gives the photo a sad atmosphere. I also think that this is enhanced by the glass being murky and not being able to see through it. This gives the image elements of mystery and also focuses your attention onto the woman in the photo. The photographer has been careful to not include the women's identity in the photo which could have connotations of people suffering in silence and not telling people how they truly feel. The photo has been taken in a public place however Julien Tatham has composed the photo to make it very intimate and personal. The one woman in the photo could represent thousands of people that get on buses each day and have hidden problems that they have not shared with anyone. The woman looks as though she has her head in her hands which has connotations of someone being upset or maybe even crying. The murky glass takes up a large amount of the photo and could represent the many thoughts that this woman has.

Ben Boswell

Ben Boswell is a photographer based in England who takes photos of tube stations on the London Underground. The photo below is of a train at Paddington Station. The photographer has framed the image so that people are placed within the windows on the train. The photographer has caught the motion of the train within the photo. This would suggest that Ben Boswell has used a long exposure time (a long shutter speed) and has also used a tripod. I like the way the movement of the train contrasts the people that are standing still on the platform. I feel as though this photo has represents the many different types of people that use the tube in London and also the diversity of people in London. I think that the symmetry of the arches are very effective in framing the image because the photographer has ensured that the image is framed in a specific way. It is as if the arches are sitting on top of the train which gives an illusion to the image. I think this creates a juxtaposition between the architecture in the photo and the train itself because the tube is something that is modern and fairly new however the building in the background looks slightly older and more dated. This shows the contrast between many of the different building in London and represents the slightly older parts of the city and the newly built modern areas.

Mike Golding

Mike Golding is an English photographer who lived the majority of his life in England however now lives in Dresden, Germany. He has created many series of photos from trips around the world and also from his everyday life. The specific series that I am focusing on is based on the tube. It does not consist of many photos however I like the composition of a lot of his photos and the way he approaches the use of different techniques within his photos like blur and movement.

The photo below has been taken on the London Underground and is of a sign that is in the middle of two escalators. The photographer has specifically decided to use a narrow depth of field in order to focus on the sign itself. I like the fact that there are people in the background who are completely blurred. This adds an element of mystery to the image as you cannot see who is in the background of the image. This sign is something that appears at many underground stations and is therefore something that many people see everyday however the photographer has decided to focus on this small detail at a train station and capture the beauty within it . I think that this has connotations of people watching the world go by everyday when they are at a train station or just taking things that they see for granted. This photographer is trying to freeze small moments of train stations and bring out the aesthetics within them. I also like the way the lights on the ceiling create a leading line going downwards. I think that this is very effective because it draws your eyes to an area that is out of focus, therefore creating a sense of mystery and raising questions as to what that is. This photo has been left in colour in order to capture the saturated blue in the sign. I think that this has been done in order to represent the London Underground because the two colours associated with the underground are red and blue. I think that the photographer wanted to subtly show to the audience that he is photographing in London. I think this is effective as it requires a shared knowledge of the London Underground and therefore may allow people to relate to the photo and also gives the photo context.

Alexander Rodchenko

I have chosen to look at this photographer due to the abstract perspectives that he takes his photos from. I think that the way he takes his photos is very interesting because he takes photos from angles that make people question what the photo is and where it has been taken from. The photo below is taken of a sculpture and is taken from a birds eye view. The image has a very interesting use of the formal element line due to the sculpture having circular and straight lines within it. I think that this photo has connotations of creativity but also confusion and stress. This is because all of the lines overlap each other and it looks slightly chaotic. I like the fact that the photo is black and white because I think that this draws your attention into the details within the photo rather than being distracted by nay saturated colours that may be in the original photo. Although this photographer does not look at stops and stations I would like to take inspiration from the compositional elements of his photos and look at taking my photos in an subtract way to add meaning and depth to my photos.

Alexey Titarenko

I have chosen to look at this photographer for the use of movement within his photo. I like the way the photographer has used a long exposure time to create a sea of people. By using a very long exposure time whilst photographing a busy staircase the photographer has managed to capture a ghostly type image. For me the punctum of the image is the hands of the people holding the hand rails. I think this is what gives the photo a slightly scary feel to it because you cannot see peoples faces, just their hands. I feel like this photo represents each person that travels each day ignores the world around them and doesn't look up to notice all the people that surround them. The photo is in black and white and I think that this is effective in giving the photo a slightly more sinister feel. Although this photo does not directly relate to stops and stations, I like the idea of incorporating movement within my photos and even more specifically the movement of people. I would like to use this idea to represent a busy train station and people having to move around quickly in order to get to many different locations.