Drone images of Mosul, photogrammetry, and the evolving aesthetics of war imagery...with Giles Price

This week, I'm joined by photographer and artist Giles Price, whose work blends photography, machine vision technologies, and aerial imaging, encouraging viewers to view war from a completely unique perspective. In this fascinating conversation, we discuss Giles' own military experiences photographing the Gulf War and reflect on how technologies of seeing have transformed over the three decades since that war. We explore the increasingly blurred boundaries between photography, mapping, and machine vision through his drone and photogrammetry practice, considering how these technologies are reshaping the production as well as the interpretation of conflict imagery.At the centre of our conversation is Phantom Pro, Giles' remarkable long-term project examining the aftermath and reconstruction of Mosul following the battle to defeat the Islamic State. Drawing on thousands of aerial images captured by consumer drone technologies, the project offers a striking meditation on war, memory, and reconstruction, while evoking important questions about the relationship between photography and data in contemporary visual culture.We also discuss synthetic imagery, image authentication, and the challenges posed by AI-generated visuals at a moment when photographs can no longer be taken at face value. From the material realities of making images in conflict zones to the future of visual documentation itself, Giles offers a thoughtful and nuanced perspective on how emerging technologies are changing what it means to witness war through images.Phantom Pro has been selected to be shown at Impact Kyiv: War/Conflict Photography Forum in October: https://www.uhop.org.ua/forum Giles’ website: https://www.gilesprice.com Links to Giles’ selected photographs: https://sotonac-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/ha4g21_soton_ac_uk/IQB1s76mKqoFRINOHyxSzDJRAQUNlLPj573_RlqJel0mm8s?e=yjkxTX(The last photo discussed, of an FPV kill shot from the war in Ukraine, is not included due to its sensitive nature)