This months challenge in the OneLandscape photography group is to take an image that could be seen as a blot on the landscape. However, so people may not agree that these blots are actual that. It is a very subjective thing Art and photography definitely is. This challenge was actually my idea, Chris Sale who is the coach who runs the group asked me to come up with ideas of what the February 2024 challenge could be. I’m not sure the other group members will agree that it is a good challenge but I enjoyed it.
The idea originally occurred to me when I was scouting images for my River Mersey Project and I came across some modern graffiti. That got me thinking about is it art or is it an eyesore we are looking to stimulate some good photography but also some debate amongst the group members. Having settled on the challenge, I needed to come up with a strong scene that would stimulate debate. I hope this location does just that.
The Haslingden Halo is a contemporary art installation situated on Top o’ Slate, a hill in Haslingden, England. It’s a circular structure with a light at its center, providing an illuminated spectacle at night. The installation was created in 2007 and serves as a unique landmark in the area. I think you’d all agree this is a boring image, there is little interest and to be honest I have over worked the sky in post production. This wouldn’t always be called art I would suggest.
However, once you add a little drama into the mix, you can see why this might be considered as art. It’s probably fair to say that some nice light adds a little something to almost every image, but I hope you agree that this is now starting to feel more like a piece of art.
The real benefit comes when the lights come on, it adds such a lot to this scene. The lights, the sky, the reflections in the puddles all add to making this, in my view, a true piece of art. This lives on the top of a hill and is part of a regeneration project and when lit up it really becomes a landmark and in my view a great piece of art.
All the above images are taken with my Sony Alpha7IV, and the 16 to 35 f4 ZA Lens.