[matthew]

There's a place in Toronto that spends its weekends as a publicly-accessible nature preserve and the workweek as the city's landfill site for construction debris. It's a long spit of land that juts out into the lake, and the part that I like looks like this:





I've been taking landscape photos there for years (the one above is from a few weeks ago, shot with the Zeiss ZM 35/2 and Ektar 100 film) and landscape photography isn't really something that I find much of myself in. In March I went there with my Hasselblad, to prepare for my first trip to New York, and used B&W film. However, this was just a few days after the massive earthquake and tsunami hit Japan, and those photos have been waiting for more images to round them out before I would be happy to show them. To that end I went out with my big Fuji for a visit in July, and came back with photos that look like this:









All photos are taken with the 210mm lens on Kodak "New Portra 400" film. I do love that camera.

The Fuji's claim to fame, aside from weighing more than most newborn people, is the ability to control perspective and its plane of focus. I also experimented with its close-focus ability, but forgot to allow for the bellows factor when I was calculating the exposure. But as I was packing up to go home I already knew what my next trip would be for, even though I had to wait a month before the conditions were right.

For my most recent trip there – the one that also provided the opening photo – I carried only small-format equipment, including my D700 and 85mm PC-E lens for their first use on a personal project since the start of 2010. (fittingly, as it turns out.) I carried a bit of other gear as well, and this is what I came away with:











Those photos, as much as I like them, are all out-takes that don't make the cut to be included in the eighteen images that make up the core of the series. The full collection, including a less verbose introduction, is here: matthew robertson photographs: Lakefill

I'm not going to stop taking my landscape photos, but I feel like these photos finally bring more of myself to the images. I may be the only one who feels this, but I find them arresting each time I look at them.

Technical: the camera was positioned horizontally for the entire shoot. Vertical compositions were captured across two or three images and then merged as a 'panorama' in photoshop. Originally photographed between one and two stops overexposed to blow out the white backdrop, these have only needed a minimum of clean-up before having their tones restored in Lightroom. It turns out that the Nikon D700 is a pretty decent camera.

As I knew that the images would be presented on white, I only photographed enough width to capture the objects' shadows. Much of the white has been added in postproduction, which puts most of the camera pixels on the subject where they belong. The background is several sheets of white bristol board, resting on a convenient block of concrete for the base and propped up against my bike for the rear. The light is simply natural, with no additional strobes or modifiers.

I took over 200 photos in order to assemble 45 finished images, of which 38 are unique subjects. I've selected eighteen with the intention of being able to present them as a book, and I have to admit that I like the idea of putting the WD40 photo on the front cover. For the back I'd have a landscape, possibly the one that starts this post. But I still have a couple of months of good weather, so perhaps the project isn't done yet.

Full project: matthew robertson photographs: Lakefill

[nia]

WOW! This is a great project dear Matthew, and I am so glad to see a landscape photographs from you. The first two and the last one fascinated me. But I also visited your Blog, and yes, there are so nice photographs. You captured so interesting pieces on there... Actually with your camera you made them all so interesting and artistic. I really enjoyed. I wished to visit this park too. By the way, I should add this too, colour and B&W, they are all so beautiful. Usually B&W is being much more impressive for me, but this time I can't choose them, they are both so impressive. You did really great job with all these photographs, I loved them. And sure, your cameras seem so nice too.

Thank you,
with my love,
nia

[nia]

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As I knew that the images would be presented on white, I only photographed enough width to capture the objects' shadows. Much of the white has been added in postproduction, which puts most of the camera pixels on the subject where they belong. The background is several sheets of white bristol board, resting on a convenient block of concrete for the base and propped up against my bike for the rear. The light is simply natural, with no additional strobes or modifiers.

Dear Matthew, just a thought of me, all these objects, would be better on black background! But I can understand you, and also I don't know about these things so much, but I imagined (especially some of them) on a black background. It is just an idea...

Thank you once again, and there is a B&W photograph in the beginning of your blog, fascinated me too.

with my love,
nia

[Toad]

This is very impressive, Matt. I really like what you are doing with your book project. Its a great concept. Tech-side, I like your lighting arrangement - supports the "portrait" feel of the images.

I see why this new direction is exciting for you. It feels like a natural progression to me, because your initial series has a similar vibe - but in a more natural setting. I think the clinical nature of the white background and unforgiving light in the second set really drives the concept home.

Nice!

[Toad]

For my most recent trip there – the one that also provided the opening photo – I carried only small-format equipment, including my D700...

Heh, Heh, Heh...

[matthew]

Nia, thanks for your kind comments, both here and on my little blog.

Rob, 'portraits' was exactly what I was thinking when I thought about what I wanted. Something idealized, artificial, and out of their environment – but hopefully still capturing their 'essence'. Assuming rocks have essences, that is.

And yes, a D700 is something I use when I want something small and simple.

[Don Schaeffer]

I love this as documentation and as art. Make a book or e-book.

[matthew]

Thanks, Don. It'll be one or the other for certain – I hadn't thought of an E-book.

[Zig]

I agree that the lens choice is the fascinating thing: a lens normally used for the sake of intimacy, here amplifies the feeling of "disconnect", which really helps give some power to the images..and moreso as a theme or series. And that Richard Avedon-style lighting boosts this irony for me. Really effective Matthew!

[Kombisaurus]

Fantastic job here Matthew. Really terrific series.
I love the way these photos are pared back to very simple elements, yet remain detailed and curious and open to interpretation. You always do a terrific job of this with your photos.
And I also like what you *haven't* shown. You only include a single wide landscape shot which is obviously very selective, but by not showing any other views of the landscape the viewer is left thinking there is nothing else here except rubble and water.

[matthew]

Adrian, thanks very much. You're also correct about your insight into what I'm excluding; the majority of the people who go there never approach the south shore where these are taken, and would see nothing like it. From the roadway it looks like there are trees on one side and a rough tangle of weeds trying to pass for a grassland on the other, but most people who go there are either concentrating on the road – cyclists and in-line skaters – or looking at the birds. Needless to say, I like my spot better.

Zig, I had to look up Richard Avedon, but you're absolutely right that his is the look I was going for. (Even if I didn't know it.) My reading taught me a trick or two, so now I have another technique idea to try.

I've been back to take more photos since I originally wrote this, and have another two dozen photos to comb through. I've come away with some compositional inconsistencies, though, so perhaps there'll be one more trip before it gets too cold. If I'm lucky I'll be able to go back in a couple of weeks, but after that the season is probably over.

[blue]

Very absorbing, refreshing stuff!

[matthew]

Thanks, blue.