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Bunker Photoshoot – Strongpoint Plemont

July 12, 2019 Nathan H Leave a comment

Information:

Due to my previous success on the other two photoshoots, capturing different bunker sites in Jersey. I wanted to further explore a different site, looking at different aspects and ways of presenting the decay of bunker archeology, creating a rational for this photoshoot. The site I selected is Strongpoint Plemont, which didn’t have as many structures to capture compared to the other two locations, creating a challenge and allowing me to explore artistically with my camera.

Strongpoint Plemont is site located on the North-West coast on the Island, it was created by the Troopsof 216 Infantry Devision. The purpose of the site was mainly to hold communication cables to Guernsey left Jersey from there. It also was a holiday camp which would have been useful for billeting the soldiers. 319th IR arrive and reinforced field positions are put in place in different levels becoming a Strongpoint. On top of this the bunker site also held many different weapons to prevent unauthorised access into the Island.

Planning:

In preparation for the photoshoot I preplanned and adjusted my camera settings based on the weather outside, when conducting this photoshoot. I used the AV setting on my camera allowing me to put main focus onto my aperture settings. I used a quick shutter speed, alongside a mix of high and low apertures, allowing different depths of fields to be used in order to capture the archeology. The ISO remained low, due to the sun being beaming onto the bunker’s, as well as the white balance being set onto sunny day, in order for a sense of warmth and image colour correction within my composition.

Lightroom Selection:

Black and White Edits:

For my black and white final outcomes, I decided to utilise images which clearly presented the formal elements of texture and shape, and wanted these to clearly be presented within the final composition, As well as using macro images, presenting a new way to perceive the archeologies. I started of by cropping some of the images, in order to present a clear subject alongside having a clearer ascetic to my work.

Above is my favourite outcome from the photoshoot, thus I deiced to break down the different components within the image, to showcase my rational as a photographer. Conceptually, I was showcasing the decay of bunkers, and how they have been abandoned and untouched since the war, allowing nature to grow and take back it’s land, whilst leaving a permanent mark on the Island reminding us of the history of Jersey. Contextually, the bunker’s were used to store artillery and weapons in order to prevent unauthorised access into the island. Visually, I have used a macro photograph of the structure of the bunker which has been destroyed, leaving jagger edges, creating a textural design within my imagery. The composition is simplistic as the foreground is apart of the structure and background is the landscape which is blurred, showcasing the use of a narrow depth of field. The photograph was taken at a straight on angle, and is in black and white, allowing a contrast in tonal regions to clearly be illustrated within my work. Technically, the lighting used is natural, produced by the sun, and is soft allowing the structure to not seem so full on, and allows the shadows to naturally be casted onto the structure. The ISO used was low, as there is no intended noise within the photograph as well as the shutter speed being quick as there is no intended blur. The aperture used was low creating the narrow depth of field, which I previously mentioned and the white balance is set to the daylight setting.

Colour Edits:

For my colour edits I used different photographs, which allowed me to explore ways of editing the photographs to make the bunkers not look like they are in real life. I achieved this by moving the bipolar bars to either extreme on the panels, for example having the blacks one end and the whites the other end. The unique and abstract designs produced allows us to rethink the purpose of the bunker, outlining their importance to the Island’s history.

Above is my favourite image from the colour edits, as well as my top image from the whole photoshoot, as I believe it changes the perspective and the way in which we look at Jersey’s bunkers. Conceptually, I was showcasing the decay of bunkers, and how they have been abandoned and untouched since the war, allowing nature to grow and take back it’s land, whilst leaving a permanent mark on the Island reminding us of the history of Jersey. Contextually, the bunker’s were used to store artillery and weapons in order to prevent unauthorised access into the island. Visually, the image clearly showcases the formal elements of texture, space and form, which is showcased by the editing technique I adopted as well as the subject of the image. The composition of this photograph is simple, as the piece of wood is the subject of the photograph, main focus point, and the background is the simple structure of the bunker which has moss and shows decay, again clearly outlines by the editing technique. Technically, the photograph uses natural lighting produced by the sun, which is not harsh as the image was taken at a straight on angle in a location in the shade, allowing my white balance to stay on the daylight setting. The ISO was kept low as there is no noise being presented within my work, as well as the shutter speed being quick due to no intended blur. The photograph uses a wide depth of field which showcases the high aperture used.

Evaluation:

To evaluate my third photoshoot exploring the bunkers, I believe I have been able to produce strong outcomes showcasing the bunkers in an abstract way, allowing us to rethink and remind ourselves of the importance of the bunkers on our Island. I have been able to further explore with the editing on Lightroom, showing my competence to think creatively as well as not sticking to the basic and standard edits that are usually conducted when editing images. I have been able to gain further understanding into the history of Jersey and have shown further exploration into the project.

AO1 Develop Ideas, AO2 Explore Ideas, AO3 Record Ideas, AO4 Present Ideas

Bunker Photo Shoot – Battery Moltke

July 11, 2019 Nathan H Leave a comment

Information:

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:

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.

AO1 Develop Ideas, AO3 Record Ideas

Bunker Photo Shoot – Battery Lothringen

July 9, 2019 Nathan H Leave a comment

Information:

On the 18th June 2019 we visited Batter Lothrigen, at Norimont, which was a battle artillery battery during the second world war. The site was named after SMS Lothrigen, and was built by Organisation Todt (a Nazi organisation who specialized in building such fortification). The main guns located at this site were 3 15cm SK L/45 naval guns which were elevated on concreate and looked out towards the ocean, stopping anybody leaving or entering the island (more information about this weapon). Once liberation was declared the weaponry where thrown over the edge of a cliff at Les Lands, luckily they managed to retrieve and save the weapons and have restored them to the right location on the site.

We had a guided tour around the site, with the tour guide explaining in detail what each bunker and place was used for during this time period. Some key information that I picked up, was that the site was mainly used for storing weapons and ammunition, the land was owned by the De Gruchy family who decided to preserve the bunkers and allow it to be constant reminder of that time in history. In addition, the bunkers are spread out in proxemics but are still close enough to have cabled communication connect to each bunker. The guide also had a small collection of archive images of these Bunker’s from when he was a child and used to explore them, which allowed us to see how the archaeology has not majorly changed over time. We spent a lot of time capturing the artillery site from the outside exploring different techniques and angles, but also got the opportunity to go inside one of the bunkers and understand what life was like to work down there and understand how the insides have been preserved. Due to the bunker’s being a tourist attraction on the island, it lead to the bunker being more user friendly, with dummies acting out the use of each room and health and safety coming first. This was good as it allowed a proper feeling and representation of the different uses of the bunker to be shown, however it lacked the historical feeling as the outsides had. The bunker was some what dark and cold and was split into 2 floors, they are designed in a spider shape with a central area and many rooms coming off the side of the center area.

Planning:

When capturing my images outside I set my camera to the setting AV, which allowed me to put more focus into adjusting my aperture. The day was light which meant I used a low aperture and a quick shutter speed to capture these images. I explored with depth of field by using a manual focus and I had a low ISO which ranged between 100-800. When capturing the inside of the bunker I used a much higher aperture due to the lack of natural lighting as well as as higher ISO of 3200, with a quick shutter speed.

Lightroom Selections:

Color Edits:

Black and White Edits:

For my black and white experimentation, I started off by turning the image black and white and then did the adjusting of the setting to ensure my time was used effectively. I adjusted the same settings as the color edits, but on occasions I had to move the sliders closer to either end of the setting scales to allow the images to seem more dramatic and interesting for the viewers. I also experimented with cropping my images to explore how cropping can change the moods and values of an image. I made these decisions to have the images black and white as I believe they would help to present a decay of the war, which also helps to add an old fashion feel to the imagery. I am very happy with the way in which these edits have turned, this is due to clear tonal contrasts presented, the cropping used and the overall images itself.

Conclusion:

To conclude I am very happy with the final images produced within this photo shoot. I have successfully managed to use light room to make a selection of images, and been able to use the develop section of the application to manipulate my images to allow the imagery to be more effective and begin to showcase the aftermath of the war. In addition, I have a variety of exploration of black and white images, showing tonal contrast and colored images, exploring how the bunkers have been abounded and how nature has grown around them (Showcasing how Jersey is taking back the island, metaphorical). I have also been able to explore the power of cropping images and how it can change the meaning and mood of an image.

AO2 Explore Ideas

Bunker Artist – Lynda Laird

July 8, 2019 Nathan H Leave a comment

In my previous studies into the bunkers of Jersey, I researched the artists Jonathon Andrew and Paul Virilio, in order to get an understanding of different ways on how to capture and edit my images of bunkers. This work can be found here:
https://hautlieucreative.co.uk/photo19ase/2019/03/13/artist-research-paul-virilio-jonathan-andrew/

To further my research I will now be analyzing Lynda Laird’s photographs who captures bunker archaeology in color. Her work shows similarity with the two artists researched above but also is very different and unique which presents the bunker’s in new and interesting way.

Lynda Laird:

Mood Board Showcasing Laird’s photography

Lynda Laird is a British based photographer who usually works on longitudinal projects focusing on capturing landscapes, and enjoys working with the idea that the subject holds a memory at that specific moment in time, trying to bring history back to life. Laird studied documentary photography and photo journalism at university, which lead her to also using archival images within her work. In addition, her photographic work has won many awards such as Planche (s) contact Festival, Deauville, selected artist residency, 2017 and has also exhibited her work on many occasions.

The image above is apart of Laird’s photographic series ‘Dans Le Noir’, which in English is translated to ‘In The Dark’. The photographic series captures coastal surveillance bunkers which are apart of the Atlantic wall located along the coast of Normandy. Contextually, the photographs were inspired by an air-raid which took place in Normandy during the second world war. This story is outlined on Laird’s website https://lynda-qbha.format.com/dans-le-noir . In addition to this, another contextual factor she also showcased was the use of infrared film, created by the military during world war 2 in order to detect camouflage and expose visual spectrum which is invisible to the naked eye, using this to capture her subject allows a beauty to be presented to the bunkers. As mentioned before the subject of the image above is a bunker used during the second world war. The image presents the formal elements of texture, line, shape and pattern which is shown through the bunker and the nature around it. The image also clearly presents a clear tonal contrast due to the shadows and lighting on the bunker. The main focus point of the image is the bunker itself, which is reinforced by a narrow depth of field and the light coming from directly on top of the bunker. The background of this photograph is plain and simplistic, it showcases the sky and some of the nature surrounding the bunker, allowing our attention to begin on the bunker and then take in the background. Technically, the lighting used is natural due to the subject being a structure located outdoors. It seems to be a bright sunlight, taken at just past midday as the shadow of the bunker is being reflected on the left hand side of the frame. The aperture used is likely to be low as a lot of light is being presented in the photograph, which also allows the depth of field to be narrow. The shutter speed is quick and the ISO is low as there is no intended blur being presented within the imagery. Moreover, the white balance used creates warm atmosphere. As mentioned before these camera settings almost present the beauty of the bunkers even though the contextual factors behind the series is negative, creating a clear juxtaposition making it interesting to view. Conceptually, Laird is trying to showcase the horrible historical factors of the bunkers and their uses during the war, but also showcasing how they have been neglected and the beauty and nature is almost claiming back the land.

Action Plan:

As an action plan I want to conduct photo shoots where I will capture Jersey’s bunker’s which were used during the occupation of Jersey. I will look at capturing images in the style of Laird, looking at how the bunkers hold memories, and Virilio and Andrew’s. When it comes to editing the photographs I will look at the use of color and black and white edits in order to produce imagery which is clearly inspired by the two artists, as well as exploring with different elements on light room.

AO1 Develop Ideas, AO2 Explore Ideas, AO3 Record Ideas, AO4 Present Ideas, Component 1 Personal Investigation

Societe Jersiase Archive

July 3, 2019 Nathan H Leave a comment

On the 4th June 2019 we visited the ‘Societe Jersiase’ where we were introduced to theme of our A2 project ‘Occupation’. During this introduction we where told about key dates and events during the occupation of Jersey (such as the time frame of the occupation form 1939-1945, for more information about the key dates can be seen on this blog post)and Key photographers who captured images within the second world war. These artists included Henry Mullins (portrait photographer), William Collie (Fox Talbet and calotype photography) and Thomas Sutton (panoramic photography).

Societe Jersiase is well known for their private photo archive, which explores Jersey’s historical, cultural and social over a large period of time. Thankfully, the archive has numerous of albums containing images taken during the occupation of Jersey, allowing me to explore different aspects of Jersey’s war. All images where placed in plastic covers to ensure our hands do not ruin the photographs which have been preserved over a longitudinal period of time. To further explore these images workers within the archive made some of the images digital and printed them off, allowing us to begin to explore narratives. We had to select our favorite images and order them in order to storyteling and create a narrative, and meaning towards the collection of images. With in depth exploration into the archive and the activity of creating a narrative allowed me to gain a better understanding of what life was like for people living through this time, and how Jersey has changed and developed since the second world war.

As our final activity we were given the opportunity to explore town, now understanding the history of the war, and capture one landscape, one portrait and one picture of an object. Doing this allowed to think and explore creatively trying to capture Jersey’s war or what is left from the war in today’s society. Below are the top images produced:

Within our narrative we told the story of how the occupation effected different aspects of the island. The story starts on the left, like a book, which showcases the shore of Jersey and how highly protected it was, so that no one entered or left the country. It then followed through to a portrait of a man with different locations and items which were personal to him showcasing a personal effect the war had on someone. Moving over Jersey’s town is presented, which showcases the social and cultural aspects of Jersey during that time. In addition, we used a lot of photographs to make it a chaotic looking narrative which is symbolic for the chaos Jersey experienced during the occupation of Jersey.

After that task we were then allowed to take photographs using our cameras. Our brief was to try and capture the Occupation of Jersey, including a landscape, portrait and photograph of an object. My initial ideas was to walk to the Bunker located on Mount Bingham, for the other two types of images I was unsure what to capture but experimented with different things around town as I wondered around. My camera settings where kept normal, with a quick shutter speed, low ISO, automatic white balance and varied my aperture as well as experimenting with depth of field. My outcomes and editing process can be seen below:

Outcomes:

To create these outcomes I used the develop section in Lightroom, where I adjusted the contrast, exposure, highlights, black and white, curves, cropping and other elements which slightly adjusted the images. I am very happy with these outcomes as they showcase how Jersey has been left since the war has ended and how Jersey is out growing these abandoned bunkers, due to the over grow and nature taking back that land. All four images clearly show my competence in taking images and my ability to accurately adjust and edit images to showcase a theme or story in a creative manor.

To conclude this outline was successful, I learnt the importance of photo archives, I learnt more about the history of Jersey and have a more in-depth understanding about the occupation of Jersey, as well as how photography has developed on the island. Moreover, I have been able to begin to look at narratives and was able to capture images in town relating to Jersey’s war which creates a narrative in itself. In addition, I have had a successful first attempt at editing and experimenting with the images on Lightroom in order to clearly present the historical and cultural elements towards the images.

AO1 Develop Ideas, AO2 Explore Ideas, Component 1 Personal Investigation

Whose Archive is it Anyway?

June 19, 2019 Nathan H 1 Comment

An archive is a collection of historical records or an actual place that they are located in. Archives contain documents which have been collected over a longitudinal period of time. These primary documents are then stored and used to showcase the function and or story of a particular person or organisation. Archives are used to allow us to gain a more in depth understanding of the historical factors at a particular moment in time, and act as a repertoire allowing us to reflect on the history of that specific place and time. Records stored within an archive is varied, from diaries, legal documents, financial documents to photographs and film. An archive can act as repositories of cultural memories of the past, as we are able to store reliable documents, which are memories of the past, which when we reflect on the documents will clearly show cultural memories. Although they are reliable, imagery is highly subjective which can lead to misinterpretation of the objects stored within an achive. Archival memory can be considered a social construct as they can show power of relationships in that society at that particular time in history.

Photography can perform as a double role within an archive as it visually showcases the person or organisation. Photographs can be used for both scientific purposes (images which are precise and detailed photographs of industrial events and processes. These photos can be used for monitoring industrial processes and allows us to view and analyse the change in the process. Within an archive this scientific purpose is useful as it allows us to see how a process or industrial event has changed from an archival image compared to a recent image of the same thing, allowing us to visually see a clear change) and artistic purposes (images which allows us to visually see the historic and cultural elements of the time and place at which the photograph was taken at. These photographs can almost tell stories which gives us insight into what life is like in that image and allows the imagination of the viewer to explore and interpret the photograph in a unique way.) which showcases the double role, of scientific and artistic purpose, which photographs have within a photo archive.

David Bate’s text explains how museums often use archives and collections of artefacts in order to display and present a particular cultural and or historical moment in time. Museums creates historical narratives of culture and can act as a repository of memories.

At the beginning of the text it talked about the ‘British Museum’ in London and how they only employed the first photographer, Roger Fenton, in 1854. Fenton captured images of the museum’s interior showcasing the artefacts, the reason behind this was to showcase what these artefacts looked like in the Victorian era, showing change and the historical values of the museum. The text says “The pictures themselves create an atmospheric space, with a kind of silence around the artefacts, a stillness of the historical museum.” This implies that the objects are said to have an “aura”, suggested by Walter Benjamin, which created a historical distance, outlining the importance of the historical factors in relation to the object. Fenton’s arhived images are still famous and are featured in museums to showcase the artefacts.

Another key artist mentioned within the text is Tracey Moffatt, who painted the series ‘Something More’ in 1989. In this series the paintings present a “fictionalised biographical account of a young Aboriginal woman’s desire to leave her rural life in the city.” In these images the background holds blurred figures in the background which are starring at the woman located in the foreground, the difference in appearance of the people helps to showcase the story and cultural factors within the paintings. Needless to say, the majority of the stories end in violence and or death. It is said that Moffatt’s early work within the series where based on personal memories, which makes her work a personal archive of personal memories presenting historical factors of her past.

Another key artist mentioned is Susan Hiller, who created hundreds of postcards of waves crashing onto the coasts around Britain, each postcards is presented differently through the experimentation of tinting, black and white and painting them. The postcards are then arranged into a grid format, showcasing an archival of “how a culture sees itself”. It is said that all the images work well together creating a lyrical display, as our eyes go round the frame following the waves crashing. Although the piece can be tranquil, the natural force of the sea begins to suggest a different viewpoint of force and power, which creates a link yo an emotional threat by a hostile person or idea. These methods and attitudes makes Hiller’s work an anthropologist or cultural archivist.

In a recent documentary on the BBC, Dr Gil Pasternak researched the photographic history of what family photographs say about Britain’s post-war social history. Within this they looked at issues concerning social class, gender and cultural background which affect the production, use and perceived meaning of a family portrait. They also looked at how the internet is changing the way photo archives are stored and used. Family Narratives where mainly shown through photo albums which showcased how precious some of the stories and memories where to the family. An important phrase told by Dr Gil read “These examples demonstrate how the development in photographic technology combined with local social history influenced the types of photographs they were able to capture, and therefore also the stories they were able to tell about themselves, their family and friends, their beliefs, interests, aspirations, and life in the UK more broadly.” They also said “In the era of smart technologies, family photographs no longer merely function as memories of the past, but they instead become active participants in the formation of our present experiences and in shaping the dynamics of family life.” This quote summaries the conclusions of the research and how modern day is shaping society and photography.

With the world constantly changing, and the future looking to be solely reliant on technology, it begins to suggest how archives will change and adapt to meet the requirements of the future. Many people share there images through social media, from facebook to instagram, which creates an online storage/archive of that person’s past, which allows others to reflect on their past and presents that person’s narrative in life. Images are much easier to store this way and are more cost effective, compared to printing them out, and accessible to everyone making this an ideal way for people to achieve their past. A limitation to using modern technology to create archives is the issues of loosing images, or if a social media sight was to shut down, due to this it can lead to an incomplete of completely lost photo archive, making material harder to find and less reliable.

To conclude, an archive is a key tool for contemporary photographers. They provide historical/cultural narratives which gives us insight in what life was like at that time and place. The documents stored within an archive varies but all still help to present a specific memory and provides useful insight. Archival material can enrich my personal study as the material will gives me insight into historical and cultural elements of the second world war, which enables me to think more carefully about what I am capturing and allows meaning to be presented within the images. Moreover, the narrative of the images tells the story of the war and the different aspects which will allow me to explore the story and the different aspects, which will provide a more well rounded project. In addition, archival material will be useful when I want to explore the memories of others in order to present their stories and will provide useful historical facts and stimulus’ to help develop my idea and knowledge of the war. In Jersey we have an archive called “Societe Jersiaise” which is a photographic archive containing roughly 80,000 images dating from the 1840s to present day. Due to the resources available to me should lead to an in-depth research into Jersey’s Second World War. In addition, a photographic achieve is a valuable source for contemporary photographers because of the idea “the best art understands a history to anticipate a future.” It also allows photographers to look at interpreting history in a new way to reveal a subjective narrative.

AO2 Explore Ideas

The Occupation of Jersey

June 11, 2019 Nathan H Leave a comment

Key Dates about ‘The Occupation of Jersey’:

6th June 2019 – 75th Anniversary of The D-Day Landings and the start of the liberation of Europe from Nazi Occupation
9th May 2020 – 75th Anniversary of Liberation of Jersey from Nazi Occupation
30th June 1940 – Jersey was invaded by the Germans. On this day they sent an airforce of bombers over the islands and bombed the harbours Jersey.
7 May 1945 – The German army had surrendered and the end of the war in Europe was announced. During the week leading up to 6 May islanders had been hearing reports of Hitler’s fall in Berlin by way of their hidden radios. In spite of the fact that the island was still officially under occupation, rumors began circulating of an imminent end to the war in Europe.
8 May 1945 – The units that made up Force 135 received their orders to move to their marshalling camps in Portsmouth. The main body of the Force was due to arrive in the islands on 12 May, however, a small contingent of Force 135, including their Commander, Brigadier AE Snow, left for the Channel Islands aboard HMS’ Bulldog and Beagle the morning of 8 May.
At 7.15am on 9 May, on the quarter deck of HMS Bulldog, Second-in-Command for Guernsey General Siegfried Heine signed the Instrument of Surrender on behalf of the German Command of the Channel Islands, effecting their capitulation. On completion of this, General Heine was then ordered to “immediately cause all German flags and ensigns now flying in the Channel Islands to be lowered”.

Key Facts about ‘The Occupation of Jersey’:

The German’s prohibited the use of radios which lead to a lack of communication between the island and the mainland.
The island was also moved to Central European time. In the months following D-Day, as the Allies regained control of France, the source of supplies fueling the islands was now no longer available.
The Nazi’s put many restrictions on islanders (curfews, rations, not allowed to drive private motor vehicles) they also did not allow anyone enter or leave the island which lead to food shortages.
Food shortages on Jersey were finally relieved by the arrival of the Red Cross ship SS Vega, bringing food parcels to Jersey. Before then, substitutes had been used to replace everyday foods, with seawater replacing salt, for instance, and a mixture of parsnip and sugar beet replacing tea.
Hitler ordered the conversion of Jersey into an impregnable fortress. Thousands of slave workers from countries like Russia, Spain, France, Poland, and Algeria built hundreds of bunkers, anti-tank walls, railway systems, as well as many tunnel complexes.
- The fortresses are mainly located around the coasts of the island in order to prevent unauthorised access in/out of the island.
- The remains of theses fortresses can still be found on the island, which showcases the historical factors of the island.
The religion of Judaism was not accepted by Hitler/Nazis which lead to people within the religion being sent to concentration camps where they were treated poorly and sadly the nazis slowly killed them off.

Mood Board – Exploring Inspiration Towards The Occupation Of Jersey:

Uncategorized

June 6, 2019 Nathan H Leave a comment

A2 PHOTOGRAPHY

PERSONAL INVESTIGATION

BUNKER ARCHAEOLOGY

AO3 Record Ideas, AO4 Present Ideas, Component 1 Personal Investigation, Unit 2 Portrait

Project Evaluation – Portrait Photography + Loss of Identity

January 31, 2019 Nathan H Leave a comment

Portrait Project – Evaluation

To evaluate the portrait project I believe that I have been able to develop my technical camera skills and my skills on Photoshop due to the different approaches of portraiture I studied. The project started off with me looking at Environmental portraits, which allowed me to focus on implementing context and concepts (Gender Roles in Society) into my images. It allowed me to think before I capture, as I had to decide whether the portrait I am capturing is conceptually showing what I envisioned. This photo shoot developed my skills as I am more aware of how I can always add conceptual and contextual factors to my images. After looking at this style of photography I moved on to look at Henri Cartier-Bresson, who looked at street photography. Conducting a photo shoot in the style of Bresson, was nerve racking and allowed me to step out of comfort zone, as capturing strangers on the street is scary, as you are unsure what reaction you may get. In this photo shoot I developed the skill of adjusting your camera settings quickly in order to capture the people in the street, without them walking off. Afterwards, I looked at studio lighting, which allowed me to explore and experiment with different lighting techniques. Within this shoot I learnt what : One Point Lighting, Two Point Lighting, Three Point Lighting, Ring Lighting, Warm/Cold Lighting, Intensity of the Light and Lighting Rig (On Ceiling). I experimented with all these styles of lighting in order to get an understanding of different affects, for example chiaroscuro. Due to the different lighting styles, it allowed me to experiment more with the way I edited my photographs, all the edited images I always attempted to make them as if they are ready to be placed into a magazine. In contrast to artificial lighting, I then looked at natural lighting and how reflectors can be used to light up the whole of the model. Within this shoot I produced some strong images, however it did allow me to focus on my camera settings. I mainly looked at depth of field and white balance, this shoot allowed me to use these setting more confidently. Next, I looked at tableaux photography and how a still image can present a story. In this I looked at a contextual piece and recreated it, as it again allowed me to develop my confidence in attempting to implement contextual factors into my photographs. After that, I looked at the show Wicked, and how could create images inspired by the show but still create a story within the still image. In this I developed my confidence in adding conceptual factor into my photographs, making me more aware and attentive to what I am photographing. I then looked at photo-montage, which allowed me to explore and develop my skills in Photoshop. In this I used photographs which have already been taken from previous photo shoots, and used the different tools in Photoshop and other images to produce an overall image. I looked at two aspects within photo-montage dadaism and surrealism allowing me to explore these two different approaches. The Photoshop skills I acquired was, using different tools to cut out segments of the model, being able to combine and implement image and text and being able to add effects to layers of the image in order to make the cut outs stand out. I feel that the broad approach to portrait photography has allowed me to explore different portraiture techniques. Overall, I have been able to produce strong outcomes towards the style of photography and have made clear links towards my work and the artists work.

Loss of Identity – Evaluation

Moving on to looking at identity, I decided to go down the route of loss of identity. The portrait project nicely linked into this project. I was able to use the different skills I acquired from the portrait project and used them within identity. Only having three weeks to explore this theme, I believe I managed to achieve a lot. I started off by looking at the different types of identities, but felt loss of identity best suited my style of photography. I started off by looking at Lorna Simpson who photographed their model without capturing the face, which inspired my first photo shoot. This photo shoot allowed me to use my creativity, as I had to come up with different ways of taking a picture of a model whilst disguising their face. This also allowed me to ‘play around’ with the camera settings as I explored making the photograph darker and lighter via the shutter speed and ISO. I also looked at Saul Stienberg who introduced me to the concept of mask photography. I was able to explore different ways of using a mask to disguise and hide the identity of my model. This allowed me to use Photoshop skills when editing, as I looked at being able to use the hue/saturation tool to make the image naturally lighter and darker. As time was short I was unable to research more case studies, which limited my understanding and research into loss of identity. However, I did manage to conduct more Photoshop edits with left over images from the portrait project. In this I was able to use different tools in Photoshop, such as the different filters, the paint tool and the spot healing tool. Due to these Photoshop edits I managed to broaden my understanding of Photoshop and showed further experimentation towards this small project. Overall, I believe I have been able to manage a lot in the short time frame I have had to complete this mini project. I have been able to produce and edit some strong photographs which had clear links towards the theme of loss of identity.

Evaluating my final outcomes, I believe that I have chosen strong responses which showcase my understanding towards that style of photography. Each photograph also shows my camera skills which I have developed as well as my different Photoshop skills. I am very happy with all the outcomes I have produced and displayed as it has clear links to the theme of the project/photo shoot they were taken from.

AO3 Record Ideas, AO4 Present Ideas, Component 1 Personal Investigation, Unit 2 Portrait

Final Piece Displaying

January 31, 2019 Nathan H Leave a comment

Final Piece 1:

For my first final Piece I will be displaying my environmental portraits. I selected my top two images, which showed gender roles and resized them to be A4 images. To display them I am going to mount them on foam board next to each other, 4cm apart from each other. I feel that a white background suits the two images, and allows them to neatly be presented.

Final Piece 2:

For my next final piece I am displaying the edits from my first photo shoot of loss of identity. I felt that these three images contained a simplistic design and represented the idea that my model has lost their identity, therefore I will be displaying the photographs in a triptych arrangements. All the images will be separately printed on A4 paper, and will be mounted as a window frame. The card is going to be black, due to the image background being white. They will be 4cm apart from each other and 15cm from the top and bottom of the frame.

Final Piece 3:

For my third edit I wanted to showcase, the scribble edits, which I created using the forgotten images. I felt that these images had a strong link to loss of identity and felt like the three images would produce a strong outcome. To do this I will print the images on A4 paper, and will be mounted as a window frame. The card is going to be black, due to the image background being white. They will be 4cm apart from each other and 15cm from the top and bottom of the frame.

Final Piece 4:

For my next final piece, I wanted to present my top outcomes from my mask photo shoot. I selected these two images, as I felt that they worked well together as a small photographic series. I will be displaying them as a Diptych Arrangement. Due to the two images being naturally lighter I feel like it would be appropriate to display them on white foam board, next to each other. I intended it have the images roughly 6 cm apart from one another and 6 cm away from the edges of the foam board.

Final Piece 5:

For my next final piece, I want to showcase my strongest photo montages. I decided to use these two montages as I felt that they worked well together. Due to the images being square, I have placed both images on the same A4 paper and will display through a window mount. This will allow the square shape to be kept. The two images are 3 cm apart from each other and will be a distance away from the edges.

Final Piece 6:

In my next final piece I want to display the photographs I captured when I studied natural lighting photography. These two images are my strongest outcomes and I feel like they work well together. I will print them out on separate A4 pieces of paper and frame them using foam board. The images will be 10 cm apart from each other and from the edge of the foam board.

Final Piece 7:

My next final piece showcases my attempt at street photography. I have used my top three images from this shoot and am going to display them next to each other, horizontally. The images will be printed out on A5 paper and be displayed using a window mount. The photographs will be 6 cm away from each other and 10 cm away from the edge of the window frame.

Final Piece 8:

In a similar formate to the final piece above, I want to showcase my studio photography images. These images have been selected as it showed my ability to use different lighting and camera techniques, which shows my development as a photographer. The images will be printed out on A5 paper and be displayed using a window mount. The photographs will be 6 cm away from each other and 10 cm away from the edge of the window frame. The middle image has been left in color as I felt it added variety and makes the final piece visually stimulating.

Final Piece 9:

For my last final piece I intend to showcase my top image from the tableaux photography shoot. I will print this image out on A5 paper and then mount it on black card, allowing the mount to not distract viewers from the actual picture.

All Images Being Made Into a Final Piece: