Environmental Operations

A photo series exploring the transformation of environments through natural and digital operations

  • type: Photography
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Reality, processed

This photo series explores how an environment changes through consecutive operations of weather circumstances and data transformations. Shot on multiple misty days, the environment first transforms to a gray, dreary world. That result is then taken as input for a computer transformation. Taken together, these operations result in an almost other-worldly atmosphere.

These photos were taken mostly in Amsterdam Noord, where I knew would be a magical atmosphere away from the crowds. As soon as I saw the mist outside, I jumped in the car and started shooting.

An otherworldy calm

There’s something about mist that always intrigues me. It’s the lack of noise that lets you focus on certain areas of the environment that would otherwise fade out of attention and blend into the background. The mist filters the light in such a way that it feels like you’re in a different world.

It’s like the world is whispering instead of shouting.

Color filtered fog

A world covered in mist is gray and has less contrast than on a normal, sunny day. By applying a colors on a gray, misty photo, we can create our own atmosphere. Through the vibrant colors we can create a new world that feels both familiar and alien at the same time.

Along the Amsterdam river IJ, the mist can be particularly thick. It's a great place to capture the world filtered through the fog.