Jersey War Tunnels tells the true story of wartime Jersey. It’s the best place to get a true picture of what life was really like in Jersey during WWII. The exhibition is housed within an underground tunnel complex, built by the Germans using slave labour.
My selection process:
Here I’ve roughly flagged the images which I like and dislike, and went from 422 images to 102
Here, I went through the flagged images again and went from 102 to 42 images.
Here I went and colour coded the images with red being most likely nto going to use, yellow might use, green most likely to use.
These are a few of the images I took at the tunnels and have edited:
Joan Tapley was 6 years old when the German Occupation began. She lived in the north coast of Jersey, therefore she could hear the bombings in France.
While the Germans were in France they wanted to invade the Channel Islands. The citizens in Jersey had to put up white flags or sheets as a symbol for the Germans to enter.
Joan Tapley would watch the planes fly over ahead and was fascinated by the white vapour trails. It was dangerous for her to admire them on the fields so she had to hide in the bushes to be protected from the bombings.
Les Platon, located in the centre of Jersey, is the highest point in the island and was used by the Germans for their artillery to aim and shoot towards France.
Even though Jersey traded with France, there was still a lack of food so people were served rations. The servings were small and the islanders were competing for food. Many citizens started growing their own food in their gardens.
The Jersey citizens had substitute food. For example they substituted tea by using parsnips and sugar by boiling sugar beets.
There were several military zones all around the island where citizens were prohibited to enter; These zones included beaches & cliffs. The Germans even introduced a curfew so people had to return back to their homes by 9pm in winter and 10pm in summer. The people in Jersey definitely felt restricted from movement.
Jersey also had blackouts where the islanders had to turn off their lights and cover their windows. The only advantage of the blackouts was being able to see several stars at night since there was no light pollution.
TECHNICAL:
After listening to Joan Tapley’s stories about her experiences during the German Occupation in Jersey, we were given the opportunity to photograph her in the studio. In the studio I used the manual mode to capture portraits of Joan. I set my IOS to 100 since the image was captured in a bright scene and had my aperture at F16 for a large depth of field. My shutter speed was at 1/125. These adjustments made my settings appropriate for studio photography.
LIGHTING:
In order to capture images of Joan, we used a two point lighting setup. One light faced towards Joan and one was illuminating the white backdrop. This allows the photographer to manipulate the lighting of the image so the subject can be illuminated in various ways and to either emphasise or eliminate shadows. The Key light is the most important light a photographer will use in a lighting setup. the purpose of the key light is to highlight the form and dimension of the subject. We also used a flash trigger which is a method of achieving flash sync without the need for a wired connection between the camera and the flash units illuminating the scene.
EVALUATION:
I wanted my images to conceptually represent Joan as a Jersey citizen who has experienced a lot during the German Occupation. To create a dramatic yet historical effect to my images, I decided to convert my photos into black and white. The filter represents the time period during World War 2 since only black and white film was available.
Hearing Joan’s stories of what life was like during the German Occupation has allowed me to gain a better perspective of what life must have been like during World War 2. I believe my images manage to contextually showcase Joan’s stories. Overall it was a nice and informative experience since she explained her stories in detail and cooperated well during the photoshoot.
Bob Le Sueur was only 19 years old when the German’s occupied Jersey Channel Island’s. During the 5 years of occupation Bob accomplished many things, but importantly he helped to assist Russian’s escape the prison in Jersey , which he was commemorated for by receiving an MBE later on in his life. During this time period he worked as an insurance agent, allowing him to move about. Soon after Bob decided to become an English teacher at Hautlieu school. Allowing Bob to come visit us at Hautlieu not only brought nostalgia to him but also allowed him to share his storied surrounding the topic of the Occupation and his political view points during this time.
To this day Bob can be considered a busy many, as he is constantly doing interviews to share his stories and heroic acts during the Second World War. Many more of his stories can be found online in video interviews, with some of them being linked below.
Interview with Mr Le Sueur
Previous Interview with Mr Le Sueur
“People in every part of the world are extraordinarily alike, with basic human values”
Bob Le Sueur
The Stories:
Le Sueur provided three different stories, almost in a chronological order of events during the war, the first being set of the morning of the German’s arrivals. That particular morning he remembered being awoken too bomb plane dropping two cylinders, connected to parachutes, which contained messages to the command force in Jersey, at this time their was no command force in Jersey, which meant the messages where taken to the Bailiff. The message said that the island had 24 hours to surrender otherwise there would be a carpet bombing onto the Island. This message lead to an emergence sitting at the states, to which they all decided to surrender. During this meeting many stood in anticipation outside the states, in the royal square. The woman believed that when the German’s occupied the Island they would be raped before nightfall, which created an unnerving and negative atmosphere to the already nightmarish situation. Soon after the Bailiff announced that the Island was going to surrender and allow the German’s to occupy.
“When this is all over we must hurry back home and barricade doors”
Two ladies waiting in anticipation – Bob Le Sueur
His Second story was set around the middle of the occupation, and was about a Russian student being hidden by two Islanders, in protection from forced labour and slave work. To set the scene he explained how one of the Russian’s was on his way home from school to which he was escorted onto a train and transported over to Jersey, leaving his parents clueless as to where his child was. He informed us how they managed to get this Russian a fake identity card, allowing him too have freedom and roam the streets in Jersey. This short story was interesting and gives us insight into his heroic acts during the occupation which lead him to the MBE.
“Liberation day was a day islanders knew was coming.”
Bob Le Sueur
The final story told was the day of liberation. His crystal set radio, hidden around households, informed him that Berlin Fell April 30th, and on May 1st was the important labour day in Soviet Union. Further to this the JEP informed islanders that Hitler was announced dead. On the 9th of September at 7:14am the papers of surrender were signed on the deck of the British destroyer at St Peter’s shore. On the day of liberation him and his friends where cycling up to see the shop, when his tire broke, due to the make of his tyre the noise created sounded like pistol shots. When this happened they where cycling pass two German soldiers armed with guns, this lead to everyone around him dropping to the ground. The soldiers lifted their guns and pointed them at Bob, to which they ended up laughing with Bob towards the situation, leaving a happy last memory of the German Soldiers on the day of liberation.
“I wanted to go shake the hands of the German Soldiers.”
Bob Le Sueur
Photoshoot Planning:
After hearing Bob stories about his memories of the war, we were then given the opportunity to photograph Bob in the studio. This allowed me to revisit studio photography and the artificial lights used within the studio environment. Capturing these images, I used a two point lighting set up, one facing straight on at Bob and one behind him, allowing the whole background to be completely white with no grey offsets. In addition I had my camera on Manual mode with the shutter speed being set at 1/125 and my aperture being at F16, making the settings appropriate for a studio photography. In terms of the style of photography, I would say the photographs fall into studio and documentary due to the nature of me building a relationship with the subject, and capturing his story within a portrait. I will be exploring capturing Bob, using head shots, half body and 3/4 body shots in order to capture my subject. I will be also experiment with the positioning of my model in order to create different effects, as well as the positioning of me and the angle at which I am capturing Bob from.
Edits:
First Edit – Flagged
Colour Edits:
For my colour images I selected a half body and 3/4 body shot in order to showcase Bob. To edit them I corrected the white balance, and then adjusted the contrast, highlights, blacks and whites till I was happy with the outcomes. These two photographs are successful as they show the detail of Bob’s skin and his eyes almost draw you into his story and I believe showcases his inner thought and mind. This clearly presents his intellectual and political personality and his thought provoking stories.
Black and White Edits:
For my black and white images I selected a 3/4 body shot (headshot) and a close up of Bob’s hand’s and cane. To edit them I corrected the white balance, and then adjusted the contrast, highlights, blacks and whites till I was happy with the outcomes. The photograph of the hands is successful as I have utilised the close of his hands to create a textural sense, which in itself presents Bob’s stories and have many conceptual representations based on his life. In addition, the headshot in black and white helps to present tonal contrast and a textural sense, creating an interesting photograph to look at
Evaluation:
Being able to explore Bob’s story has allowed me to gain a better understanding of what life at war was like, as well as first hand experience of a young man who lived through this period of time. I believe my imagery has managed to capture these stories, in a subtle way, allowing strong conceptual and contextual elements to be presented through my work, showcasing meaning. In addition, I have been able to extract quotes from Bob’s interview, in verbatim, which will help enrich my further studies as I explore Occupation and Liberation more. To conclude, I am happy with the imagery produce on top of exploring Bob’s life at war and produce strong evidence of further research.
Was 6 when the occupation started, lived on the north coast therefore saw the French coast and heard the bombing in France.
Some people believed that the government had sold the Channel Islands to the Germans.
The people had to put up white sheets and blankets to show the Germans that they could enter.
Mother and neighbour come over Joan and said to go over where it was more protected, e.g. the bushes, they heard bombing, they soon heard that some people where killed by Victoria avenue.
Les platons was the highest point in jersey, was useful for the German, they could shoot France from that point.
All people had to have a ration book, they lent theirs to somebody but never gave it back, people tried to get more of everything, e.g. 5grams for her father and mother as she registered at the farm across the road.
The Germans introduced a curfew for people who lived in the military zone therefore you must be back in your houses by 9pm in the winter and 10pm in summer and you couldn’t leave before 6 in the morning.
The island then had to introduce blackouts, as they weren’t allowed any lights, one night when they wanted to see the stars, they had to remove the blackouts from their windows, it was a Scarlett effect.
Because the food rations were tight the word Substitute became a word during the war, parsnip was cooked until brown, and they had to cut them down, and pour boiling water on it, they called it substitute coffee/tea.
German changed the currency to their own one which was marks and pfennig. And the hop owners would have to weight out and count how much you have, they told you how much it was in your money and then they translated it to the German money therefore it was making it harder for the shop owners.
Owners had restrictions on what they could grow, and the Germans would have to come and check if you were following these orders. People were finding it difficult on their rations.
Families would go and collect the remaining corn left over from the harvests in the august, the woman would wear a sac apron and they would pick it up, they would have to keep this quiet from the Germans or overwise something would happen, if they had corn left over they would take it to the mill where they would mill, the woman would pretend they are pregnant if the Germans would stop that was their excuse. People would create a bag the size of a mattress and that’s how they would hide the corn.
Joans dog Tess was used to pull things around for the family, coal was impossible to get, tar was used rather than coal. Then the Germans started to allow coal type things called nuts which was used to heat stuff e.g. fires, cooker.
If u abided the German rules you would get treated well, 95% of the population did get on well with the Germans, however if you didn’t you wouldn’t get treated well.
Liberation Day:
8th of May, father went to work in town boss told them to go home as the war was over, came home, ¾ of way home passed a distance for cousin’s farm and told him about it. The lorry which was hidden by the cousins was brought back out. All the family went into the town, they saw lots of cars and lorries along Victoria avenue, parked the lorry at people park. Everybody got off except gran who was soaked from the baby.
Original Photos I took:
Joan TapleyJoan TapleyJoan TapleyJoan TapleyJoan TapleyJoan Tapley
Edited Photos:
I have picked the photos I like out of the images I took, Orange=I might use, Green= I will use.I have decided to look at the before and after reference to see what the image looks like in black and white but also colour. I have chosen Black and White. I have edited Tones in the image meaning that i have changed the amount of highlights and shadows within the image to create a sense of creativity. Final Image – Joan Tapley
Second Edit:
have added a gradual filter on the image, this makes the light spread more along the image. I have increased the detail in the image, so it picks out the better areas of the image, I have also change the saturation within the image to get the colours within the image more vibrant.Final Image – Joan TapleyFinal Frame 1- Joan TapleyFinal Frame 2 – Joan Tapley
Third Edit:
I have increased the detail in the image to make not blurry, I have also cropped the image so you are only focusing on the person. have converted the image to Black and White, as it makes the image stand out better than colour.have changed the Tones and the highlights/shadows to change the effect of the image. I changed the highlights to make highlights within the skin light whereas when I changed the shadows amount it increased the darkness in her skin.Final Image – Joan Tapley
19 When German’s Arrive, 24 when Jersey Liberated.
Morning of German’s Arrival (1940):
July 1st 1940 – Air Raid on the 28th June, German planes over the island that morning.
Lived Victoria avenue, was woken up by German Planes, looked out the window of sloped roof, recognised them as German bombing planes.
2 Parachutes dropping out of plane, not human beings, long cylinders falling. The cylinders contained a message addressed to commander and chief of command forces of Jersey
There was no commander, “the island could not possibly be defended”, not worth any military value.
6am – heavy bombing raid in rotegam (Dutch/Belgium/Luxemburg)
Population of 2 islands combined – 100,000
People in England did not know about the bombing in Jersey,
Governor and wife left island when the cylinders arrived, whoever found messages gave them to bailiffs
They had 24 hours to surrender, the island would be carpet bombing, would lead to absolute hell.
Bailiff, did not want to surrender without authority, London told them they could not help and to stay at the post and do the best you can – only instructions given.
Bailiff summoned emergency sitting of the state future laid in hands in deputy of St Saviour, voting is unknown, no one voted to not surrender.
Bob at royal square, apprehensive, propaganda and mew outlets discussed German’s myths (believed everything they rad), area of royal square corned off for workmen, Bob asked a work man what was happening he replied “no idea mate”. 2 woman in front of bob “when this is all over we must hurry back home and barricade doors” – a lot of women would be raped before nightfall (did not actually happen) – negative atmosphere before Germans actually arrived on island (tense)
Got everyone to stand in line for Bailiff announcement, screaming orders to get into line and order – takeaway chaos. Everything destroyed when pidgeon popped on man who was giving orders pork pie hat (official piece of clothing) – released into laughter, psychological heaven sent moment in time of extreme apprehension
St Helier:
Terrace houses very similar, built in the time of Willian the 4th. House number 7, two floors up, apartment shared by two young men. They sheltered Russian prisoners.
German’s fortified Jersey strongly, than any part of defensive war Hitler was constructing from Norway to Spain. Wanted to hold onto the island for a naval base at western end of British Channel, would have been renamed to German Channel
Not enough labor to do all the work on the island, so Nazi’s bought in forced labor from different countries( ie Spanish Men who took refuge in France) – built fortifications in Jersey, were paid and not physically ill treated. (Holland, Czech Slyvacia, Russia)
Slav Race (Slavine race, Pole etc) they were taken as slaves, not paid, they were considered as subhuman, treated in horrid ways – highly political time (racism).
“People in every part of the world are extraordinarily alike, with basic human values” – Bob
One Russian, coming home from school (15 years of age), saw German trucks at end of street, men disappeared into buildings. The boys where hurdled into trucks and taken to the train station, and were sent to Jersey, stayed in camp on 5 mile road. No contact with parents.
One Russian sheltered by man in the apartment noted before, shared rassions with the Russian, got an illegal identity card to get Russian rassion book/ identity card. – If card lost had to go with a sob story then given new card.
Older man was Russian student, studying Jersey Cow and get stuck during the occupation, hid the idea that he was Russian, so did not tell many people
Young men had frequent parties for Birthdays etc,
September 1944 when they would be a gas supply, end of a way of cooking (only could cook on open fire) a day of despair, but the two men celebrated the fact that they could use the gas stove for today, optimistic views.
Make a party go: No guess has eaten a square meal for 12 months then serve calvados, distilled cider (110%), straight start to party. The Russian got hold of alcohol before the party started and fell to the floor kicking legs, bellowing at the top of his voice songs, a platoon of German soldiers below. Two people pulled down apartment windows and gagged Russian Man to keep him quiet.
Liberation:
Islander’s knew the day was coming, not sure when though.
No Gas supply, middle of January (1945), had a party, bring your own food. Islander’s were very hungry due to the lack of food supply.
Crystal set radio, hidden around households, found out Berlin Fell April 30th, May 1st important labour day in solvient union.
Understood Hitler was dead, JEP one sheet of paper two sides, England news one side and German on the other side, on this day newspaper announced Hitler’s death.
May 7th, week after Berlin Collapse, told to take effect when war finished in Europe officially ended, German’s out of control, all arms had to be laid down one minute after midnight on May 8th (making it technically may 9th.).
7:14am (9th) surrender of whole island signed on deck of Birtish destroyer on St Peter’s shore.
Bob’s Story – with two girls from the office. They cycled to noirmont point, his bike tire broke (sound like pistol shot), two people flung themselves to the ground as they thought it was a gun. Two soldiers turned with rifles towards him, did not fire though, thought he was going to be killed as island was being liberated. German soldier laughed.
His friends waved at Bob as they cycled to the pier to watch British destroyer.
For the majority of the shoot I adjusted the white balance using the color temperature due to the warm lighting within the tunnels. Due to the low lighting I had to increase the exposure on the a lot of the images, this took some creativity to avoid excessive grain such as emphasizing the highlights while keeping the shadows similar to their original values in order to better show shape of the objects while keeping grain to a minimum, the exception to this being any rooms that were well lit in which I brought down the highlights while increasing contrast and lowering the color temperature in order to keep a consistent feel across the shoot.
In this image i made use of the reflections in order to create an almost kaleidoscopic looking image. This is an example where the shadows were kept to a similar value as a grain reduction measure.
Here i experimented with different color options for the image such as leaving the original white balance, turning the image to black and white (due to the greater tonal control using the black and white settings) or lowering the color temperature and lightly adjusting the tint. While I like the original color balance of the images and how the deep reds of the desk interact with the lighting, I have decided that I prefer the final edit in which I adjusted color temp while keeping the image in color.
This was an image which I had originally discarded due to glare caused by the glass however i decided to use it due to the color and composition of the images. in my first edit i enhanced the greens while increasing the saturation of some of the smaller details such as the red on the gauges. I like the composition of the image due to its strong geometry and high amount of detail. I also decided that the glare enhances the image and so I made it look less like a camera defect.
Within the photoshoot I took my subjects into the environments which they can be found in the most, as well as placing them in locations to which they are comfortable and found the most. In this photoshoot I tried to keep the atmosphere relaxed, doing this allowed a more naturalistic representation of my subjects in their natural environment, giving an accurate representation of their personality. In addition, I also used artificial lighting found around the house, which would naturally be on when the subject is in that room, however I did set up some lighting to ensure the face of the subject was fully lit, and created a home and welcoming atmosphere.
Edits:
First Edit – Flagged
Second Edit – Star Rated
Third Edit – Colour Rated
Colour Edits:
For my colour edits I chose photographs, in which the artificial lighting was manipulated for effect. To start off I began by adjusting the photographs by correcting the white balance, adjusting the white, blacks, contrast and structure. Then using the radial filter, which allowed my subjects face to be the main focal point of the image. It allowed me to adjust the background of the composition, allowing my subject to be illuminated and centre of attention
Black and White Edits:
For my black and white edits I chose photographs, in which the artificial lighting was naturally darker and was the natural lighting within that environment in the house. To start off I began by adjusting the photographs by correcting the white balance, adjusting the white, blacks, contrast and structure. Then using the radial filter, which allowed my subjects face to be the main focal point of the image. It allowed me to adjust the background of the composition, allowing my subject to be illuminated and centre of attention
Above, I believe is my top outcome from the photoshoot, due to the technical and visual elements the photograph holds. Conceptually, I was showcasing my brother in his room, where he spends a lot of time alone. To me it was important to not only capture him but also the background behind him (taking inspiration from Michelle Sank) as it helps to develop our understanding of his personality. Visually, the composition of the frame is kept simplistic. I wanted to create a sense a space, through the position of my subject within the frame, clear use of the technique rule of thirds. In addition to the formal element of space, I also wanted to showcase form, and shape, which is clearly presented to the layout of the frame and the background. In this photograph, the subject is located in the foreground, and the background is the layout of his room, which allows a slight narrow depth of field to present within the work, suggesting a slightly raised aperture. Technically, the shutter speed is kept quick due to no intended blur and the subject being still. For this photograph I slightly raised the ISO, for an artistic purpose, in order to create a slight bit of noise, helping to emphases a homely atmosphere. Having this ISO works in cohesion with the warm, soft artificial lighting which was used, as well as the sunlight ISO which helped to emphasise the warmth, which creates the homely and welcoming environment.
Evaluation:
To evaluate I believe I have been able to successfully explore environmental portraits within my home environment. I researched and gained a connection with my subjects allowing an accurate representation of my subject’s personality and how their natural environment describes them. I produced some successful photographs, which showcase my ability to use different camera settings (ie adjusting the ISO to gain noise for effect), as well as further experimenting and using the different tools within Lightroom, to develop my photograph for effect. To conclude, I am happy with the general aesthetic of my work and the final outcomes produced. It also shows further exploration into this form of documentary photography, from my previous work where I looked at gender stereotypes in the early 20th century.
Environmental photography is a form of portraiture, which illuminates the environment and settings of the subject and presents their identity. It is common for a photograph to spend time with the subject in order to form a connection with the subject, in order for an accurate portrayal of the person. Within the time spent, the photographer will ask about hobbies and interests as well as getting a clear understanding of their home life, and favourite aspects and elements of their course. Within this style of portrait photography the aim is to tell the story of the subject within that one photograph, which is achieved by having the subject have rapport with the camera lens
In previous work I explored environmental portrait photography, in the style of Arnold Newman, were I looked at gender norms in the in the early 20th century. I explored this using my grandparents as my subjects and used different elements of their home life to showcase these gender norms. The photoshoot and edits were successful, thus making it an area to reflect back on and use as inspiration for another photoshoot.
This time around I will be conduction another photo shoot, using the methodology of environmental portrait, but exploring my personal home life. I have taken inspiration from Alex Soth to produce my imagery. My artistic aim is to capture my home life in the most naturalistic way, showcasing the natural environment of my family, as well as the day to day tasks they complete. To do this I will be using my DSLR camera alongside a tripod, to get stable landscape photographs. My camera settings will differ based on the lighting and task conducted by my family.
Mood Board Showcasing Soth’s Photography:
Understanding My Subjects:
Philippa Healey – Mother
49 Years old, Female, wedded to Martin Healey
Philippa works full time at JCG Prep as the manager of Little Leopards, the after school day care/holiday club. She has worked with children for a long period of time, and works from 9am-5:30pm.
At home Philippa enjoys reading, playing games on her phone, as well as spending time with her children, husband and two cats. Not only this her and her husband, do house chores within an evening to ensure the house is always at a good clean standard.
Philippa’s favourite room in the house is the conservatory, which overlooks her garden. The room attracts a lot of light, and you can often see her spending her weekend on the sofa in the room, absorbing the nature and her book. Philippa is a calm, active and kind hearted person.
Martin Healey – Father
52 Years old, Male, wedded to Philippa Healey
Martin works full time as a pension manager, and has been within the finance industry for most of his life. He works 9-5 Monday to Friday, but can often be seen doing a lot of over time, due to his position within the company.
At home, Martin enjoys spending an evening on the computer, reading the news, on facebook, playing games and watching youtube. He also enjoys spending time with his children in the lounge in the evening, were they watch different programs.
Martin enjoys cleanliness within his home and makes his home appealing to all sense, importantly smell. He enjoys buying new smellies and placing them round the house, to give the building a set smell and atmosphere. Martin is an intellectual, funny and strong minded person.
Sam Healey – Brother
22 Years old, Male, In a Relationship
Sam has recently completed his degree in social sciences were he obtained 2:1 giving him a BA(Hons) qualification. He has now successfully managed to obtain employment, which he has been in for the past 2 years.
At home Sam enjoys, singing, flying planes and causing chaos in the household. Sam’s favourite room would be the study or kitchen, as he can be found spending the most time within these rooms. Sam is a bubbly, lively human being who is fun and adventurous to be around.
Having lived with my subjects for the past 17 years of my life, I can say that I fully understand their personality and the love towards certain environments within their home. All three family members love to be around one another and embrace all aspects of family life, as well as having some independence in their life.
Action Plan:
After exploring the traits of my family and understanding their personality, on top of observing their favourite environments within the house. I am going to conduct a photoshoot were I capture family life within the Healey household, in the documentary style of photography, environmental photography. I will capture each person’s individual personality in their natural environment, as well as capturing the three personalities at once, showcasing a change in the individual self to meet the needs of the people they are with.
The Jersey War Tunnels are a reminder of the occupation of the island during World War 2. The War Tunnels are one of many fortifications that the Germans built on Jersey. The tunnels were blasted out with gunpowder and handtools, and then covered with concrete. The hospital was dug into a slope, so that it would drain naturally. Its location within the hill also ensured that the temperature remained constant throughout the year. The tunnels were originally constructed as an ammunition store and artillery barracks but the Germans converted them to a casualty clearing station as D-Day drew nearer. Today The Jersey War Tunnels are an exhibition dedicated to how the occupation affected the islanders and the island. Areas have been restored to show how the hospital looked during the occupation.
Final Outcomes
Food shortages on Jersey were 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 for instance seawater had to be replaced with salt.
Everyone in Britain was given a gas mask to protect them from gas bombs, which could have been dropped during air raids.
During World War 2, you had two choices when writing a letter: handwritten or typewriter.
In order to build the Jersey War Tunnels, a huge workforce was needed and this was supplied by the Organisation Toft. More than 5,000 slave labourers were brought over to Jersey. The men were treated harshly and known to have died from disease, malnutrition, accidents and exhaustion.
Under the occupying forces, one of the greatest hardships was the lack of news from the mainland after the Germans had outlawed the use of radio sets. A number of individuals risked imprisonment by making their own sets and spreading news.
At 3:00pm Winston Churchill gave the most famous speech of his career. The Prime Minister announced the end of the war in Europe and the “unconditional surrender of all German land, sea and air forces in Europe”. While the islanders cheered, he uttered the words, “our dear Channel Islands are also to be freed today”. Flags and decorations sprang up.
Evaluation
This series of images show a narrative of the typical objects that could have been found in a household during World War 2. Most of the images are still life because of the inanimate subject matter depicted. The sequence of the images tell a story of what it must have been like to be a citizen in Jersey from the beginning of World War 2 until Liberation Day.
The first five images are in the filter B&W punch to represent the German Occupation in Jersey. The images have high contrast between black and white making the photo very sharp. The B&W filter represents life in Jersey during the German Occupation where the people were oppressed and suffering without sufficient resources. I decided to edit the majority of my images in black and white to emphasise the historical yet cold atmosphere during the Occupation. The filter also helps to showcase the negative impact war had on the citizens of Jersey.
For my colour edits I produced two final outcomes. The last two images are in colour to represent Liberation Day in Jersey which took place on the 9th of May. The UK flag is depicted in both images to represent the freedom of the Jersey citizens.
The Jersey War Tunnels was built during the Second World War to withstand air-raids, but soon turned into an Emergency underground hospital. Created through forced labour and over 5,000 slaves, the tunnels is over 1,000 meters long and 50 meters deep, creating a large area to protect the German Soldiers and those injured during the war time. The War Tunnels is now a tourist attraction, allowing guests to explore the underground network, as well as personal stories and different events which occurred during the war. The theming of the attraction is cleverly done in order to transport guests back to the war time, and give them a first hand experience as to what life was like down there. Another mentionable aspect of the War Tunnels, is that they were never completed, leaving whats called ‘the unfinished tunnels’ these tunnels are still on display and creates an atmospheric and immersive experience to guests.
Mood Board Showcasing Stock Images of The War Tunnels, outlining expectation and inspiration for what to capture.
On my trip to the War Tunnels, I explored the different rooms, showcasing the different stories and events, allowing me to gain a more personal understanding of the war. Using my camera I tried to capture these stories and environment in order to present a visual and creative representation of the tunnels.
Planning:
The War Tunnels are a set of tunnels, which informed me that the lighting was going to be dark, this lead to me raising my ISO to high setting, and have my shutter speed adjusted to let enough light in dependent of the room and the lighting in that room. I used a manual focus which allowed me to explore with my depth of fields and aperture. In some photographs I experimented with flash photography, however these outcomes where less successful. I intend to capture photographs at all different angles allowing a different perspective on the objects to be showcased within my image, creating an ascetic towards my images.
Editing:
First Edit – Flagged
Second Edit – Star Rating
Third Edit – Coloured
Black and White Edits:
For my black and white final outcomes I decided to use a wide variety of photographs, which I believed clearly showcased the true nature of what life was like living in the tunnels, and during the second world war. For these images I started off by turning them into black and white, which then followed on to me adjusting the shadows, lights darks, structure etc, in order to create a historical and cold atmosphere within the imagery. I believe that my four black and white outcomes work well together, complimenting one another, using the formal elements and composition of each frame to create a negative viewpoint, reflecting the negative impact the war had on people’s lives, as well as the negative impact of the war tunnels. In addition, all four images showcasing different camera techniques which showcase my competence to experiment with a camera and create successful outcomes.
Colour Edits:
With regards to my colour edits I produced two outcomes, one which is more successful then the other, needless to say the show further exploration with my material I produced. The top image uses a technique called ‘colour splash’ which allows the whole photograph to be in black and white except one are you chose. In this case I kept the flag in colour as I believed it showcased the theme of freedom and liberation, emphasising the impact the liberation of Jersey had. The photograph uses rule of thirds, and clearly showcases different formal elements as well as clear camera techniques, such as wide depth of field. On the other hand, the image below, type righter, is not as successful, due to lack of focal point it has, as well as I feel that the lighting has a sense of warmth, which ruins the cold and negative ascetic previously created in my work.
Evaluation:
To evaluate, I believe I have produced successful outcomes which showcase my competence with using a camera and the different settings, as well as being able to creatively edit my photographs in order to produce successful outcomes, with an ascetic with is on going within my outcomes. I have been able to further explore Jersey’s history, and produce imagery which clearly showcases the environment of the war tunnels as well as personal stories, creating clear contextual and conceptual references within my work.
