Baywatch. Miami Beach, Florida, USA. Click to enlarge.

This post is not about linear algebra in digital-image processing, written as matrix operations, but matrices of images of a similar subjects, texture, or color; a special type of conceptual photography.

Some genres of photography, such as macro, landscape, architecture, and sport are easy to identify. Portraits are more difficult to categorize, coming as head-shots or environmental portraits, candid or arranged, as part of the street photography genre or as studio work for commercial purposes.

Conceptual photography is an even more ambiguous concept. A photo is said to be conceptual if it is used to illustrate a specific idea, helps to communicate a message, and tells a story with a single image.

But Bernd and Hilla Becher are also ranked among the conceptual photographers. They are best known for their series or of images, for example, water towers, gas tanks, and blast furnaces, organized in arrays of 9 to 16 images. I have found this type of photography at the same time challenging and easy. Challenging, because it requires a family of objects that are sufficiently uniform to work as a series, and yet diverse enough to remain interesting. Easy, because each single image is not required to stand on its own, which in turn relaxes somewhat the need for composition and technical perfection, the latter simply because each of the images can be printed smaller.

The Bechers have said that they try to arrange shapes and render them comparable. To do so, the objects are isolated from their context and freed from all association. Consequently, their shooting style is based on strict procedural rules including a standardized format, frontal view, absence of human presence, and identical lighting.

Going not quite so far, what I denote as photo matrices has found its way into galleries and poster shops, for example, “Doors of Marrakesh” and “Cats of Santorini“. At a recent trip to Florida (USA) and Havana (Cuba) I could not resist. Now I just need to find some wall space and someone who tells me the brand and model of the cars. SR

Americans in Havana, La Habana, Cuba. Click to enlarge.