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Photographer, artist, and printmaker Tom Leighton captured Dubai and Abu Dhabi architecture in surreal picture sequence that masterfully blend style and design and photography.
Leighton, centered in the United Kingdom, qualified at the Royal College or university of London where by he discovered how to expertly layer and manipulate photographic items. The central concept of his function is the surroundings, be it “the nightlife of foliage” in his “Variegation” sequence or strong, present day structures devoid of environment, highlighted in his hottest task “Loci.”
“Although virtually all of my get the job done will involve images as element of the approach, I selected to review printmaking relatively than focus in photography,” Leighton tells PetaPixel. “I was then in a position to research how diverse print media, this sort of as etching and screen printing, may possibly impact on the photographic impression, by way of the process of manipulation, stripping down and deconstruction.
“During my MA at the Royal Faculty of Artwork, I was experimenting with these alternatives together with my main get the job done with the digital manipulation of pictures,” he provides. “Aspects of just about every of the procedures fed into and informed the other — and I assume this has helped me to acquire pretty a malleable solution to photographic composition.”
Architecture Photos That Go a Action Additional
“Loci” was formulated pursuing Leighton’s experiments with isolating and removing the context of these huge structures in his images. As he commenced to manipulate, multiply, and coloration them, “they turned a a lot less immediate representation of the places and additional of a distorted memory.”
It was the hazy gradient backgrounds that extra a surreal and disconnected high-quality, that Leighton preferred to take a look at further in the series. For this project, he chose buildings from Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
“My visits to these cities have been really quick but the lasting memory of dealing with these destinations was the ambition and range of the megastructures that jostle for posture in the desert setting,” he points out.
“The elaborate and unrestricted style created them perfect for producing these surreal sculptural kinds,” which are further more distorted and their geometric precision are emphasised.
“Devoid of surroundings and context, the properties now become sculptures that are about form relatively than their function,” he provides.
From the Initial Idea to the Last Picture
In the course of action of this and other architecture-centered collection, Leighton attempts to seize properties from every single conceivable angle. This often signifies he has to look for elevated vantage factors in adjacent buildings, rooftops, and even fairground rides.
“Often distinct views of the exact same constructing will characteristic in a single composition so it is vital to collect all of the parts of my future jigsaw even though I am out capturing,” Leighton clarifies his process. “Sometimes you can come across the perfect signing up for element in a shot that was formerly missed.”
In the course of the enhancing phase, Leighton does not follow a rigorous workflow. As a substitute, he tries distinct approaches and mixtures, which makes it possible for the last concept to evolve organically. At times, this also means abandoning some of the drafts along the way, only for them to emerge later as section of a coherent collection.
Foreseeable future Photo Initiatives Are Contacting
Simply because he was restricted by pandemic travel regulations, Leighton moved his target to regional regions.
“I stay in a rural location and this change has been from architecture, to rock formations and woodland,” he explains. “There are certainly some parallels in how I tactic the two and I hope the chance to experiment has a lasting impact on my upcoming function.”
But, with the globe opening up little by little, Leighton appears ahead to visiting new international locations and towns to accumulate materials for his long term do the job.
Extra of Leighton’s work can be observed on his website and Instagram.
Impression credits: Photos by Tom Leighton.