The symbolic photographs below are the results of planning this next studio shoot, inspired by many different examples of ‘art to spread awareness’. Although I particularly love the huge 3D marine sculptures created by ‘Washed Ashore Project’, instead of using the sheer amount of physical pollution to emphasise my point, I will be using photography techniques and eye-catching compositions. The symbolism I am hoping to show using pollution I have collected from Jersey’s shore is the bleak future of all marine life and pollution’s effect on the Eco-system.

My 2D arrangements below are created using two particular kinds of pollution that I have collected from all around Jersey’s coasts.  The reasons I have chosen fishing rope and bottle caps are one because I didn’t want to over-complicate my outcomes and two because these items can cause a copious amount of damage to marine life and the environment. To complete this shoot I set up a makeshift studio in my bedroom by laying down a black sheet on the floor and using a mixture of the lighting from a desk lamp and the light from outside. As you can see below in my contact sheet of original photographs, I have experimented with four different designs using the recycled materials. When capturing each subject, I took inspiration from many dramatic and surreal studio photographs and tried to use interesting angles to bring the pollution to life. My goal for this shoot is to spread awareness about ocean pollution and hopefully spark positive change in my viewer’s consumer habits. Below are a select few of the original images from this home-studio shoot presented as a contact sheet …When selecting my final outcomes out of the images above I wanted to make sure that I included a varied selection of each subject I have created. Below I have chosen five photographs (out of the 12 original images) that each show its subject matter either from a different viewpoint or in a different light. When it came to editing these photographs the first thing I did to all of them was make them more dramatic and eye-catching by playing with the exposure, shadows and contrast. After this, I judged each photograph individually and went through my normal editing routine of changing things like colour, temperature, clarity, saturation, highlights and blacks. The reason I have decided to keep all these outcomes in full colour is because they are aimed to catch my viewer’s attention and really stand out.

The final outcome above is my favourite result from this creative symbolism shoot. To create this subject matter I used a black sheet of fabric I had at home as well as a Nutella jar lid, some old fishing rope and loads of plastic bottle caps that I found on a few of Jersey’s beaches; ultimately arranging them into the shape of a fish. Although abstract and eye-catching the context of this image is to spread awareness about something very bleak. The reason I have created a fish is because it is a good symbol for the ocean and its ecosystem and can give the viewer an idea about the wider message I am trying to get across. I love how I have captured the composition of this subject matter and enhanced its dramatic intensity by manipulating colours, contrast and highlights.

The next final outcome displayed above depicts a jellyfish made with blue rope creating movement in the background, bottle caps forming the shape of its head, and separated strands rope as the tentacles. Although I was not really planning on creating this subject matter, as jellyfish are not really symbols of the whole underwater eco-system, I have found that this idea has, in fact, worked very well. The meaning of this subject is to show a futuristic world where all marine life has been replaced by our waste. This is futuristic tone is emphasised by the neon colours I have created and the black dark ocean background. Overall I think this abstract piece has a really strong centred composition and I have managed to create a really intriguing yet ominous tone.

Next is an abstract image that has a very different subject matter to all my other final outcomes from shoot. This photograph depicts a massive amount of material and plastic fishing ropes/lines along with bottle caps and an oddly shaped piece of seaweed in the middle. The shocking thing about this, for me, is the how easily I managed to source these discarded materials washed up on a few of Jersey’s famous beaches. The symbolic message behind this image is pretty much a realistic version of the final above, where a jellyfish-shaped creature is being engulfed and tangled in pollution. The reason I chose this as final outcomes is because of the intriguing way I have managed to digitally manipulated the colours of certain ropes/lines and toned down all the rest.

Lastly are two more images that are aimed to give an insight into the problem of ocean pollution and hopefully make the viewer think twice about how they discard their waste. The meaning behind these two photographs is quite similar in that they both show a futuristic ocean scene that has been completely taken over by synthetic substances. The first piece on the left is simply a differently captured and edited version of the larger final outcome above. I have chosen to add this to my results blog post as well because I love the dramatic effect the subject has it fades into an ominous black border. The last image is of my fourth subject matter that I had previously planned out to depict a wave created by pollution. I love this outcome as I think the message is really clear as well as the composition of materials showing movement and intricate textures.