For my independent bunker shoot, I decided to drive to Corbiere and photograph the German radio tower. It is part of the old German radio complex situated around the west coast of Jersey to assist in detecting allied ships within the Atlantic ocean that meets the west coast of the Island. the radio towers were also used to assist in co-coordinating aerial attacks upon allied fleets in the English Channel.
Today, the tower can be rented out as a luxury getaway destination, with 360 degree panoramic views of St Ouens bay and Corbiere lighthouse. Back in the occupation, this tower was a key asset in channel surveillance, and a nearby bunker system hosted multiple anti shipping and anti aircraft batterys to bolster the west coast defense.
Here are my images taken from my shoot. I went and shot my images around sunset as I wished to capture the sunset and experiment with the colours of the sunset, to almost reflect the end of an era, and to use the sunset as a metaphor to represent a promise of a tommorow, a promise that was fulfilled with the liberation of the Channel Islands.
Editing approach
For this image, I wanted to highlight vapor trails in the sky as well as emphasise the clouds in the background. To do this, I increased the clarity to +40 to make finer details stand out and I also adjusted the colour filters to make the colours of the sky and sunset much more prominent to create a dramatic colour palette.
With this image, I decided to deploy the same principles as the last image, Yet I adjusted the hue of the yellows and orange as well as the saturation filters to adjust the sunset to make it much more dramatic. I used a wide angle shot to get the full tower into perspective and utilise as much cloud as possible to further increase the dramatic effect given off by the image. I chose to take a wide angled shot to incorporate the bench looking out into the sunset, Using it essentially as a metaphor for reflection upon a time of upheavalFor this image I chose to photograph Corbiere lighthouse in the shadow of the radio tower, To highlight the sense of occupation. having the tower in close perspective and the lighthouse in the background helps to emphasize the idea of occupation and the domincance of the occupying forces upon the Channel Islandsin this image, I chose to have the lighthouse as the central feature of the image and incorporate the observation slits of the radio tower in the foreground to portray a sense of observation over the bay. i have altered the colour filters slightly in order to create a more vibrant image.With this Particular image, i chose to use the silhouette of the radio tower combined with the calming colours of the clouds to create a contrast between the occupation associated with the fortification and the liberty and freedom of clouds
Final Edits
Here are my final edits for this shoot
Overall, I am deeply satisfied with this image due to the vibrance and warmth of the colours on display, as it has been manipulated yet seems still realistic. The depth of the colours create a dramatic effect whilst maintaining an aesthetically pleasing look Within this image, I am pleased with how the tower is silhouetted against the dramatic colors of the sunset, Representing the idea that the scars of the occupation are still visible even to this day and that the fortifications are left as a constant reminder of the occupation of Jersey
With this image, I focused on capturing the texture of the clouds in the background as well as the iconic Corbiere lighthouse to create a dramatic effect and to also depict the idea of the fortifications still watching over the island landscape to this day. However, Now looking at the image, I find that I could crop the right hand side of the image slightly more in order to get rid of the sliver of blue backdrop present to create more of a framing effect, utilizing the radio tower to do just thisFor this close up shot of the observation slits, I wanted to emphasize the texture of the concrete structure and compare it to the softness of the clouds within the background and I find that I have achieved just this to provide a string textural focused contrast within the image, representative of the harshness of occupation in comparison to the comforting image of freedom and open skys With this image taken at the exact same location, I aimed to capture the drama of the sunset as well as the texture and formation of the clouds. In the mid left of the image, there is a seagull flying and I wanted to capture this particular image to use as a metaphor for liberation and freedom as the seagull flies free in an open sky
