Environments Shape Us: a reflection on the impact of architecture on our street photography
The places we live, work, and play have a profound impact on our experiences.
Acueducto de Guadalupe. Mexico City, 2024. Alex Coghe
Urban and architectural photography captures these environments, giving viewers a glimpse into the social, economic, and cultural realities that shape human lives. While urban and architectural photography might not feature people directly, it can be a deeply human art form, offering a unique perspective on the complexities of the human experience.
Let’s see this photography by Toni Garbasso, included in his precious work “MILANO LA NUOVA”:
Toni Garbasso - MILANO LA NUOVA
To offer a more complete perspective you can watch this episode on my youtube channel I dedicated to his research:
Can urban and architectural photography document the human condition? This work by Toni Garbasso comes to our attention by answering the question positively. In my opinion there is much more street photography here than you might think. A work that I find absolutely precious and that reflects much of the photography that I love.
My focus in photography is about the human condition, the identity and sense of community, including the resilience in front ofpresent and emerging difficulties:
Images of affluent areas juxtaposed with those of impoverished ones can speak volumes about disparities in wealth, access to services, and living conditions. This visual documentation can prompt discussions about social justice and urban policy. Furthermore architectural photography can illustrate how the design of buildings and spaces influences human behavior and interaction.
In da barrio. Alex Coghe, 2024
The mood and atmosphere of urban environments, as captured through photography, can convey a wide range of human emotions. The use of light, shadow, perspective, and composition can evoke feelings of loneliness, community, alienation, excitement, or tranquility. This emotional resonance allows viewers to connect with the human experiences depicted in the images.
Cuauterror 1. Alex Coghe, 2024
Cuauterror 2. Alex Coghe, 2024
Urban and architectural photography is a powerful medium for documenting the human condition. It is a way to understand the society. By not being only focused on a person and shwing the urban context photography can gain a lot for a documentary value to give to the others. And, of course, to ourselves.
