Exploring the Human-Altered Landscape through Photography

Abstract

This thesis examines how photography can explore the relationship between humans and the landscape within the context of the Anthropocene, where human activity is the primary force shaping natural environments. The purpose of this study was to examine how photography can reveal, question, and represent human-altered environments. The research was guided by the question: How can photography be used to explore the relationship between humans and the landscape? The study analysed the works of various artists who worked within the human-altered landscape and critical theories about images by John Berger and Susan Sontag, alongside concepts such as heterotopia by Foucault, hyperobjects by Morton and visual strategies such as “gateway visuals” used in communicating climate issues without introducing “climate fatigue” to the viewer. The methods used in this research include site research using digital tools and on-location scouting, digital photography and post-processing techniques to create visually striking images that capture the viewer´s attention. This practice-based research resulted in the creation of three photographic works that have the human-altered landscape as their main theme. Each work explores the relationship between humans and the landscape through contemporary photographic techniques. The final works demonstrate that photography not only documents human influence on landscapes but also actively constructs how these spaces are interpreted. The results raise more open-ended questions about photography’s role as a medium and its capacity to convey the scale and complexity of environmental transformation.