Samantha Fairhead

Fine Art

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My photography is about exploring the ways in which man has taken over the landscape, and what effects this has on the planet

Since beginning at Loughborough University, it has always been an aim of mine to combine my two passions - the environment and photography. Last year I began documenting the British landscape through photography. This year I decided I would continue this documentation, but wanted my photography to have an important meaning behind it. I began researching into The Anthropocene, which states that humans "have had such a significant impact on Earth and its inhabitants that we will have a lasting - and potentially irreversible - influence on its systems, environment, processes and biodiversity" (NHM, 2022). I thought this was a really interesting concept and wanted to see if I could explore this concept through digital and film photography.

I began by taking photographs of small man-made things within the landscape, such as a path or a road sign, and then eventually moved on to taking photographs of urbanised areas, deforestation, pollution and agriculture; as these are all contributing factors to climate change. I thought it was interesting that no matter where I went, even when there was no other human around, I could document human traces through my photography.

One of my main goals for my exhibition was for all of my photographs to be aesthetically pleasing at first, but when the viewer begins to really look at the photograph, realise that it has an ugly truth behind it. I have exhibited my works to tell a story, that I think helps the viewer to understand my photographs, especially the ariel ones. Beginning on the left, images of small man-made paths and everyday landscape, then moving into grander schemes that show built-up industrial areas, ending with 2 large aerial photographs, 1 highlighting deforestation that takes place to allow for agriculture, and 1 highlighting pollution in some riverbanks; both highlighting, through the angle, to the viewer the mass destruction that man is having on the Earth. A transition is happening throughout this story. Using both digital and aerial photography has allowed me to have a discussion about the landscape, beginning with a world that we know very well, and ending with a bird’s eye view of the landscape, a completely different perspective, but both highlighting the lasting impact humans are having on the landscape and the planet.

I feel my strengths and skills lie in composition, editing of images, and critical thinking and I will continue to practice these after finishing my degree. My plan after uni is to continue with photography, whether it is landscape photography or event photography.

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Polluted Riverbeds

This birds-eye photograph shows pollution in some Riverbeds within the British Landscape. The birds-eye angle allows the viewer to see what they could not normally see on a typical walk. The patterns and colours in this photograph are aesthetically pleasing, however once realising what this is a photograph of, it is disturbing and concerning. This is just one example of the mass destruction and impact that humans are having on the natural landscape and the rivers, seas and oceans.

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The Financialization of Nature

This photograph shows multiple layers of the leading factors linked to the Anthropocene. Agriculture, urbanisation and pollution are all seen in this photo through the farm, the housing, and the train.

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Look Closer (Horses I)

This photograph may look like a lovely normal landscape, to begin with, and the horses in the foreground may distract the viewer from the background. However, when the viewer looks closer they can see the industrialised built-up area.

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Landfill Site

This photograph shows the fence where a nature reserve ends and a landfill site begins. When visiting the site, I thought there was a lot of irony in the fact that this was right next to a nature reserve; a place where animals are meant to be protected and undisturbed. The viewer can see the fence is highlighted with white bits of litter, and many bits of litter were flying over the fence into the rivers and landscape nearby.

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Traces left behind

This image was taken at an oil refinery plant, which obviously has a great impact on pollution. I think this image is very interesting as, although there are no humans in sight, their traces have been left behind through the marks on the floor.

This was a particularly challenging site to photograph, due to it being a 'sensitive area'. I was actually stopped by police 3 times before being told to leave. However, I am still happy with the photographs I managed to get.

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Deforestation

This photograph shows another birds-eye angle, this time of land that has been destroyed due to agriculture. All colours apart from green have been muted to highlight the mass scale of the destruction of this land.

Samantha Fairhead

Final year project

Landscape in The Anthropocene