About Matthew Emmett

He is a photograher who captures detailed images of abandoned locations and buildings- especially ones with great historical significance. His aim is to rediscover our forgotten heritage through the mean of photographic storytelling. This fascination of his turned into a seven year long project called ‘Forgotten Heritage’. His work takes him into environments that have long been forgotten allowing him to discover first-hand past architectural history. He has photographed many diverse locations like abandoned farmsteads in the arctic circle, vast industrial remnants in northern Europe to crumbling villas and hospitals in Italy. His almost decade long project has won several of the worlds most prestigious international photography awards to date and has been widely published online and in the international press. In 2017, he won the Historic Photographer of the Year award. More recently Emmett has been working with organisations like the National Trust, HLF and various councils documenting restoration projects and running workshops.

In an interview with Emmett, he was asked “what’s the most memorable place you’ve visited?”

“Well most likely the jet engine site mentioned above which was so unique and I am unlikely to see anything like it ever again, it was demolished in 2013. But aside from that, I think it would likely be a large psychiatric hospital in northern Italy. We explored it as the small town beyond its walls woke up. Inside it was so quiet, all you heard were birds, the sounds of your feet against the tiled floors and the hourly clanging of a church bell or passing moped drifting in the shuttered windows. It had a truly magical atmosphere!”

His Work

Here are some examples of his work, which clearly highlight the rich quality that all his images have. The deep tones, harsh shadows and detailed aspects of the images cause the images to perfectly highlight the abstract beauty of each of these places. I have noticed that natural light is something Emmett manipulates to his advantage, for example, using beams of light to further emphasise the rich colours within each picture. His pictures truly help us rediscover these hidden locations, showcasing each place in a way that makes every flaw stand out- yet still looking beautiful.

Image Analysis

This picture is part of his seven year project- ‘Forgotten Heritage’- where he explored a hospital in Italy. His photos captivate the viewer, the atmosphere of the place appearing to be calm despite its previous use.

The image has a deep depth of field, dragging the photograph more and more, far into the long hallways that meet in the centre of the photograph. This causes the photo to have a very interesting composition, having two areas of focus on each side of the image. This composition causes the photo to be very effective in capturing the atmosphere of the building, allowing the viewer to vividly imagine the feeling of the place. The lush greenery seen through the window contrasts with the peeling mustard- coloured paint that coats the walls, as well as the grey leaf- covered floor. The two corridors, one dim and the other bright, could be a portrayal of the hospital itself, its two sides, the duality that hospitals tend to have. Happiness and sadness, light and dark, good and evil could all be themes that this picture incoorperates into itself. The frames on the windows create a pattern or repetition within the image, which adds a geometrical aspect, contrasting with the otherwise bland walls. The image was clearly taken using a fast shutterspeed, allowing lots of light into the picture and therefore resulting in a bright, detailed image that helped capture each bend and curve of the architecture.

Link with the topic

I think Emmett’s work fits in the theme, as observation is a key part of his projects. He observes the way each location looks, and captures each place in a way that is realistic yet adhanced in beauty. He seeks out these forgotten sites, and challanges the norms of ruins being unappealing to look at.