I read Sean O Hagan article from the Guardian newspaper. I like Topographic photography and like most humans love collecting things.

I like Robert Adams work he takes a small simple subject and creates a collection such as 27 Roads created in the late 1960s it is a collection of monochrome photographs of old American roads before the concrete highways. Taken at the time as a curiosity they become important historic records as time passes.

Much as August Sandler`s work in Germany had in the 1930s. His collection of photographs of all aspects of German working life is a superb record of the German people at the time just before the Nazis and the war which changed the country forever.

Stephen Shore created some amazing photographs in his topographical collection “Uncommon Places” in 1974. He takes shots of all things strange in the USA. Window displays, Cars and streets are all taken and recorded with good light and great colour. I see his influence in Martin Parrs work and on TV in the likes of “stranger things”.

Lewis Baltz is well know for his work “New Topographic`s, photographs of a man altered landscape”, influenced all these artists and continues to do so right to the present day. Windows you cant see through is a great series making me think of the pointlessness of certain things in life.

This style of the work can be used for all sorts of applications. Entertainment, Education or sales of a product. All can be approached using a topographic approach. One of the best I have seen is of chopped chocolate bars made by Rachel Been. However I have also seen work in the National Geographic recording every species of animal on the planet by Joel Satore.

Making collections with a theme appeals to Humans we like collecting and enjoy putting things into boxes so this style of work has great appeal to us all.

I thought I would have a go at putting together a quick Topographical series of photos of my own. Around where I live are lots of pieces of what appears to be abandoned pieces of farm machinery. It may seem unloved and unused but it isn’t. It is waiting for the season when it is useful. Ferilizing, Lambing, Worming or pulling just because it isn’t useful today doesn’t mean it wont be tomorrow.