You may or may not remember LA photographer Michael Wells from his Scorched Earth series which we featured back in SHFT's early days. Either way, here's another batch of juicy Wells photos, this time focusing on industrial subjects. For Bulk Landscapes, Wells trains his camera on spaces where goods are produced, stored, and shipped, providing some compelling commentary on the economy and its......read more
In 1977, John Pfahl pushed the field of landscape photography forward with his landmark series "Altered Landscapes." For the collection, Pfahl physically intervened in landscapes before shooting them, dishing up some poignant environmental commentary in the process. Over thirty years later, Pfahl echoes those works with “Métamorphoses de la Terre," only this time the......read more
Originally inspired by Tim Flannery's book "The Weather Makers," New Zealand-born, Sydney-based photographer Michael Hall embarked on an ambitious personal project: to capture and reveal the causes and effects of global climate change. Like his forefather Edward Burtynsky, Hall lures in the viewer with epic, eye-popping images that make us consider our own role in the......read more
When Jeremiah Ariaz embarked on his photo project Reconsidering Landscape, he turned his camera on city murals of nature scenes, contrasting the imaginary landscapes with rocks, bushes, and trees in the foreground. The images underscore an obvious irony, in that the murals depict the natural habitats the walls have previously displaced. They illustrate, Ariaz says,......read more
Alexander Hampl's Sand series, shot in the remote Northland region of New Zealand, portrays desolate sand-scapes sculpted by the forces of nature. The pics venture into abstraction territory, aptly capturing the mystical vibes of the place where, according to traditional Maori mythology, souls of the dead depart on their journey to the afterlife. More Hampl work can be found on......read more
Were it not for a skin affliction, Emma Parry may never have gotten into photography. "My first memory of wanting a camera and taking photos was when i was about 8 or 9," she says. "It was a little plastic fugii 35mm camera with an awful orange cow print over it, and my mum said she’d buy it for me if I would stop itching my eczema." Emma's dermatological loss is our eyeballs'......read more
According to conventional thought, a photo is an accurate record of reality, a snapshot of a moment in time that would otherwise be lost to history. With his camera squared on alienated landscapes and out-of-place subjects, Belgian photog Geert Goiris uses long exposure times to challenge these assumptions. "I often use a long exposure time," he explains in his artist statement. "I......read more
Working out of Munich, Germany, photographer Bernhard Lang comes through with an amazing series of aerial photographs that offer a different perspective of human activities and landscapes. There's one series shot over water, and one over ice and snow. Definitely worth a look. Follow Lang's work and brush up on your German over at his blog. (via......read more
Brad Temkin has been documenting human impact on the contemporary landscape for over 30 years. For Rooftop, his latest series, the Chicago-based photographer chronicles the burgeoning green roof movement taking place on top of city buildings all over the world. The beautifully-composed, large-format photos serve as exemplary records of the cultural shift towards sustainable......read more
Perusing the Old Faithful blog the other day, we came upon these photos from a 2007 series called Familiar by Brad Moore, shot among the post-war architecture of inland California. With a restrained, less-is-more aesthetic and a keen sense of irony, Moore's photos capture the interplay between buildings and plants in the suburban landscape. From his statement: The following......read more