For my second shoot I decided to go to noirmont, although not having been able to go inside the main bunkers I decided to photograph more of the remains than anything else but also adding textures and experimenting with different lighting.
The images above are from my photoshoot which took place up at Noirmont in St Brelade. Noirmont actually has its official name as being the Battery Lothringen and has the distinction of being the only Kreigsmarine battery in Jersey. Many regulars and tourists now come to this site to not only look at the incredible views but to often stand on the former No.2 gun position.
This site was beginning to be constructed for the early gun position around March 1941 and later on in April/May the Kreigsmarine’s men and equipment Battery Lothringen has the distinction of being the only Kriegsmarine battery in Jersey. Thousands of tourists and locals alike who come to Noirmont Point each year to take in the beautiful views, often stand on the former No.2 gun position.
Work started on the first early gun positions March 1941, then in April-May, the Kreigsmarine’s men and equipment of 3./ Marine Artillerie Abteilung 604 started to arrive in Jersey. The German High Command had agreed to establish Marine batterys in all three principal islands. Construction of Battery Lothringen was finally completed in May 1944.The Battery’s four elderly 1917 15cm SKL/45 guns were put on these elevated platforms so that they could lower their guns sufficiently should the need necessitate to fire directly into the bay of St Aubin or Portelet.
For the planning and development of my zine, I have attempted to develop and work on a narrative for my sine, in order to make the images flow together in an organised and smooth arrangement. In order to create a sequencing that made sense, and showed a clear narrative, I first had to select the images that I would use in my zine. The following images are a selection of those that I have chosen to use in my zine:
In order to develop a narrative that flows from one image to the next, I used developed my arrangement of images multiple times, and changes the series in which they were displayed. Below is my final layout so far, seen from top left (first image) to bottom right (final image):
The theme of this sequence is to show the development of the occupation of Jersey through progressively harsher times. Images begin as slightly more innocent in context, with more coloured images at the font of the book. They images then develop into more harsh images, with more black and white images to show the harsh contrast of shadows, and with more rough texture in the images. I will do this to reflect the progression of the occupation of Jersey, as the longer the Germans occupied Jersey, the less resources available, and the development of more censorship laws and rules further reduced the hope of the people of Jersey.
I decided to begin my zine using the most colorful and eye catching images, which not only draw in observers, but also reflect the slightly more positive atmosphere within Jersey before the occupation. They also show an example of how the occupation is portrayed in modern times, with an emphasis on restoring guns and bunkers to their former layouts for educational purposes, yet in this way it could be said that the occupation is being glorified. As you move through the layout, the images become progressively darker, showing the progress of Jersey through the occupation as it began to sink in that the island was running out of resources, and restrictions were increasing. The final few images reflect the reality of the occupation, mainly displayed in black and white to emphasize contrast between shadow and light, the final images are telling of the remains of harsh and cruel structures built during the occupation, and the run down, decrepit appearance of the structures inn the final image is a reflection of the attitude of the people living in Jersey towards the end of the occupation; hopeless and increasingly run-down.
I wanted to practice in the making of a Zine and how to create a narrative appropriately. For this Zine I focused on the aftermath of the Occupation through archival images of Jersey’s Liberation.
I printed out 4 images doubled sided so that I could create a flip book, and bound them together with poorly coloured in red masking tape.
Jersey Heritage – Tapestry of During The Occupation
Top Image – People cramming into the Weybridge to begin celebrations – with an added flap that reads ‘Beautiful Jersey’ One of many songs sung in freedom Bottom Image – Our brave soldiers returning home marching through town and the cheering crowds
Back cover – The decree of war discovered after the St. Helier town hall was emptied of war
Recently, I visited the battery moltke artillery battery with my school. The site began being built in 1941 and its role was a coastal artillery/ anti aircraft battery. Its main role during the occupation was to protect St Ouens bay from a potential naval/amphibious allied invasion, However, The guns had a range that could cover the rest of the islands coast if required. The site consists of a bunker, two gun emplacements and a German MP3 tower, used for radio telecommunications and targeting vessels and allied aircraft.
The site itself housed four 155mm french cannons with a range of 19,200 meters aswell as multiple turreted field defense bunkers known as tobruk by the allies. These were essentially small bunkers with turret mounts on top of them.
On our visit, we explored the bunker system and ventured into the barracks, where the officers working on duty at the bunker would have rested on longer shifts. The barracks are gas proof due to an air filtration system and a decontamination area. The barracks themselves featured authentic German furniture and artifacts such as family photos on the walls. It was a very insightful visit as we were able to witness the conditions these soldiers had to live in and seeing their barracks was also a reminder that not all of the Nazi forces were bad people, many were only serving in the armed forces as if they didn’t, the Nazis would kill them and their families.
We then took a walk to the Radio tower further along the les landes headland. It was here that a radar would have been equipped to help track allied vessels and aircraft and provide ranging and targeting details to the gunners back at battery moltke. If you look out of the radio tower on the far left hand side, you can directly see the la moye radio tower on the other side of the island. The Germans blew up a large rock face in order for the towers to both be visible to each other to provide a strategic advantage and to also have both towers in visibility of each other in the event one was destroyed, so the Germans would have certain confirmation of this
Overall, The trip was very insightful in terms of seeing the conditions the soldiers worked in, as well as seeing the actual architecture of the bunkers and fortifications themselves and appreciating the work put in by the many forced workers and laborers. The fortifications around Jersey still stand today as a memorial of not only the occupation itself, but as a memorial to all of the workers who perished during construction of the fortifications and the hardships they endured
Here are some images I took whilst on the trip
The radio observation tower on les landes headlandThe outward view from a slit on the side of the radio tower overlooking a small turret bunker
authentic German gas masks and other artifacts, preserved and encased in a glass cabinet inside battery moltke
Use of other design elements or inserts: archives, montages, graphics, typography
Narrative: For my zine I would like to show the story of how the bunkers in our island during the time of the war and how over the years they have been left and now they are being reserved and looked after but also I want to look what the life on the island looked like during the war.
For my layout I want to create a feel for the what the message I wanted to get across, therefore I want to have some images which are spread across two pages whereas some other images I want to take up half of one page and to have the rest of the area.
I want to use archival images aswell in my zine to create a contrast from today and in the past. I feel that if I did this it would create
I also want to insert some text to lap off some images to create an understanding for the person looking at the zine.
The zine is made up of A4 papers folded into A5. All of the images bleed which means that the printing goes beyond the edge of the sheet. This is an interesting way of presenting images since it makes the viewer focus on that one image. All the images are landscape and take up two pages. Landscape photography demonstrates the photographer’s own connection to nature and their view of the world around them.
Design and layout
The layout is simple yet effective. All images bleed onto two pages which makes the photo clear and allows the viewer to focus on the detail. The large sized images helps to convey the message the photographer is trying to get across to his audience.
Rhythm and sequencing
All pages link to one another since they are all portraying the same idea: man made structures and nature together. All images have the same layout which creates a rhythm because when the viewer turns the page they see the same format of one image across a double page.
Narrative and visual concept
The zine is showing the viewer different locations where man made structures and nature come together. They are either in harmony or in conflict. I believe Dale Konstanz is trying to tell his audience that we as humans are trying to dominate nature. As seen in all the images an artficial barrier is constraining the natural world. In a way nature can be seen as a more powerful force since its seeping through any gaps and overtopping the human barricade.
Title and cover
The name “Concrete Jungle” is unusual yet interesting since we wouldn’t usually see those two words together. Both words contradict each other since concrete is associated with the urban environment while jungle is related to nature. The title explains what we as a viewer will expect to find inside this zine. The zine does just that and shows us several images of locations where manmade structures and nature are visible in the same image. The semi transparent box in the center of the cover is an interesting feature as it includes the title in a simple font as well as the photographers name. Since the box is transparent we can see through it and see the front cover’s image. This box is an interesting feature and is something I might consider when creating my own zine.
What is a narrative? A narrative is a spoken or written account which connects to events to make a story.
In order to choose a narraive for my zine i firstly looked over my images and tried sequencing images before develping the actual product. This zine will be 16 pages long and will be A5 size. Due to my project being about the Occupation in Jersey i will include my images firstly from the town shoot i did, the ‘Batterie Moltke’ bunker site, as well as the’ Batterie Lothringen’ photo shoot, the images will go together to create a narrative. The narrative i will be creating will be based on what was at the sites before the occupation, what was there in the occupation, as well as in the present day. I have decided i don’t want to use any text in my zine and it will be purely images except for the title at the front of the book.
Concept
The concept of my zine will be around the theme of location. I will be using three different locations in this project, and each section of the zine will include an order to the story of the location. The images i have taken will show the stages of the occupation through to the end liberation. Throughout these stages i will include bunker images, statues as well as updated buildings which were previously there during the war, such as ‘Boots’ and the ‘Pomme O’Dor Hotel’, i will also try to find old images of these stores.
Sequencing
The design of my images will include both colour images, as well as black and white. The zine will be displayed as a A5 size booklet with 16 pages to it. I will use one my own images as a front cover with simple font. For the moment i will not be choosing a title as i want my creating experience of the zine and the end product to give me inspiration for a title.
Due to the success of my first trip to Noirmont point, I decided to explore another artillery battery on the island. I wanted to produce more images which supported the theme of bunker abandonment and how nature is taking back the island. I explored more with the weapons located on the site and different details on the structures which could creating an interesting and abstract looking image.
Battery Moltke is an incomplete World War 2 former coastal artillery battery located in St Ouen’s. It is located in Les Lands, which is where all the guns where chucked off the coast at the end of the occupation. The artillery has bunkers, guns and the Marine Peilstand 3 tower located on site. The bunker was being built as the war came to a closure, thus they did not manage to finish making it in time leaving it unfinished. The artillery battery was being built to protect St Ouen’s bay from any attacks to the island. All the different structures were close in proxemics and close to the cliff face, which showcases how the location was ideal for the Nazi’s to prevent anyone entering or leaving the island.
Planning:
To prepare for this shoot I used the AV setting on my camera which allowed me to prioritize my aperture. The weather was some what sunny but had some fog, which meant that my aperture was middle in the range. My ISO was slightly higher than my previous shoot as well due to the lack of sun light provided, did not exceed 600. I used a quick shutter speed, with manual focus in order to allow me to control my camera. I wanted to explore with macro images as well landscape to capture the bunker. When editing I am going to simply stick with the techniques used from the first shoot, but it may vary due to the outcomes I produce.
Lightroom Selections:
Edit 1 – Flagging
Edit 2 – Star Rating
Edit 3 – Color Rating
Color Edits:
For my color edits I decided to explore and experiment with the different developing tools within light room. I always made the white balance setting to ‘as shut’, but adjusted the clarity, shadows, blacks, whites etc to enable the best possible outcome for my imagery. For the first edit I wanted the center of the frame to be lighter than the outsides, to create a sense of entrapment and allows the viewers eyes to be easily guided around the frame of the image. I did this by using the Radial filter tool. Moreover, for this edit I wanted to encapsulate how nature is growing around the bunker, which I showed by increasing the structure and clarity of the images. For my second macro image I wanted to showcase the detail and texture of inside the the gun, I did this by making the whites and black sliders down to bipolar ends, and made the clarity slightly darker allowing this effect to be created. I am very happy with the way in which these two color edits have come out due to how they clearly present the theme of nature taking back the island from the occupation. In addition, the camera techniques (such as depth of field and rule of thirds) used are effective as they allow the archaeology to present decay and historical factors of the second world war.
Black and White Edits:
For my black and white images I looked at exploring with my macro images and creating a tonal contrast within them. I achieved this by adjusting the blacks, whites, shadows and clarity, by moving the sliders closer to either end allowed a clear tonal contrast within the images, making them interesting for viewers to look at. Moreover, I made these decisions to allow the detail and the formal elements of line and texture to clearly be presented in my images. I also looked at cropping my images to emphasis the details on the bunkers which clearly showcases the decay of the bunkers.
Conclusion:
To conclude I am very happy with the outcomes produced in this shoot. Experimenting with macro and landscape photography allowed me to present bunker archaeology in a new way, developing the idea of capturing bunkers and presenting the decay of them. In addition, I have been able to successfully select and develop these image which showcases my ability to use light room effectively and understand the different settings and how to adjust them to make an interesting outcome. Exploring another bunker has also allowed me to understand that the layout of each site are similar and contain practically the same things, however the weapons and views are different which allows new landscapes to be presented. Moving forward I would like to look at photo montages, combining images from both shoots with archival material in order to showcase bunker archaeology in a new light.
throughout my zine i want to show the stages of the occupation through to liberation by including; bunkers, statues, and also the updated buildings that were already built in jersey throughout the war, including the pomme o’dor hotel, where there is a very well known photograph taken at the liberation of jersey.
sequencing
i want to use colour effectively within my zine to represent the happier times, and the not so happy times, this may result in my zine being a little half and half between monochrome, and vibrant colour – as i do want to set my zine out in chronological order, from the start of the occupation, through to the liberation.
narrative
in terms of narrative i don’t think that i want to include any text within my zine. however i will have the title on the front page, i’d like to title my zine ‘change’ as throughout it i will be aiming to show the changes that not only happened during the occupation and liberation, but also the change from the occupation to the present.
