For an introduction to our year 13 project we started to look at different cultures and the different communities of jersey. We went and visited the Jersey museum to see the exhibition: People Make Jersey, which showed us several different aspects to jerseys identity as well as jerseys community.
Additionally during my research I also discovered that every Jersey resident has an immigration story; whether their family came here 500 years or five years ago. This exhibition explores some of these stories and the ways in which immigration has shaped and influenced the Island we know today. I personally feel that this is a good way for the public to understand and share their stories of immigration.
Around there were several things around the museum which consisted of things such as newspapers, Jersey maps and notes. They had both old and new newspapers we see today which added contrast between the two different newspapers showing a clear difference between the time they were produced. (shown below)
Overall I feel that this trip with school really inspired me to learn more about my friends and family’s cultures and backgrounds as well as continue to do more research on the islands community’s.
Overall I feel that I have successfully achieved what I wanted to as I have chosen to relate the the photographers however I have adapted there ideas to my own. Although these photos are in black and white I feel that they still portray the topic of Anthropocene as it adds more details to the actual photographs themselves ac you can clearly see the main focus. Additionally I also feel that adjusting these photographs to black and white changed the overall tone and mood to a negative one as it successfully reflects the negativity and impact Anthropocene has on the world.
For this photoshoot I have been inspired by David T. Hanson photography as I enjoyed the way he made wasted land look in his photographs. I am going to try and use some of his ideas such as his ‘wasted land’ photography by taking photographs of abandoned environments or derelict buildings.
My Best images:
My Images
Adapted in Photoshop
Overall I feel as if these are my best images due to the fact that they clearly reflect wasted space which creates the stigma that is bad for the environment as these sorts of empty/derelict environments could be turned into a ethical environment which would have a positive impact on the Anthropocene. Personally I feel as if the use of colour in these photographs add specific details however I also feel that the ones in which I have adapted to black and white in photoshop may have a bigger affect as they change the overall mood of the photograph. This may be because the dark tones add an overall darkened mood to them and adds to the bad affect in which these sort of environments have.
For this photoshoot I have been inspired by Jerremy Carroll for using man made items in his photographs that are used on a daily basis. These items in which he used are usually found in the ocean. Furthermore I am going to conduct a photo shoot using everyday items such as plastic bags as well as use different colour of gels over the studio lights to add dark tones to the photographs.
My Best Images:
My Images
Adapted in Photoshop
Overall I feel as these images in which I have selected are my best as they are mainly focused on the face which may have the meaning behind them of someone suffocating. Whereas in Jerremy Carroll series of photographs called ‘marine pollution’ he has used items such as fishing nets and strings to make the model in which he used look trapped and she couldn’t escape it furthermore I have taken this idea but I have interpreted it in a different way. I feel as these photos are good however I could have used more of Jerremy Carroll ideas to improve my own. I believe that the black and white photographs add more specific details as the blacks and whites add to the overall tone used as well as the overall darkening affect they have.
David T. Hanson is a photographer was born and raised in Montana. His photography has a strong view on Anthropocene as he chosen to photograph wasted land which suggest that he has decided to photograph manmade environments.
Jerremy Carroll is a photographer who based her work around man made items and the way they can effect living things. I know this due to her calling a series of her photographs ‘marine pollution’ this relates to Anthropocene as he is concerned about the pollution going into the margins.
Barry Rosenthal is a award winning photographer who collected discarded items of plastic and captured photographs of them to reflect on anthropecene. His series of these photographs were called “Found in Nature”, in which he started in 2007. His series had a worldwide following and has created several opportunities for Barry Rosenthal to talk about his work to a larger audience. Additionally he is also stated that ‘In today’s world, consumer goods are increasing in volume. At the same time their useful lives are shorter and shorter. Consuming without a thought of what is left behind is what we are taught.’ which highly highlights that he cares about what impacts humans have on the world.
Barry Rosenthal – found in nature
Image analysis:
Jerremy Carroll – choked by plastics in the ocean.
This image in which Jerremy Carroll has taken is very unique as I haven’t seen a photographer take photos in relation to the Anthropocene in this way as she has used items such as fishing nets to create a stigma that the woman in the photograph is trapped the same as if she was a fish in the sea relating to the Anthropocene and the impacts us as humans has on it. I personally feel that the use of the harsh bright white light adds specific details because it makes you more aware of what is occurring. I feel as if Jerremy Carroll has a strong opinion on the topic of Anthropocene as she may not have decided to take these sort of images if she didn’t care about the world. Additionally the name of the series of photographs in which she has taken is called ‘choked by plastics in the ocean’ which highly suggests that she is concerned for the well being of the fish that live in the sea. The tones in this photograph are very clear due to the bright lights being used. In addition the way in which Jerremy Carroll has structured her photograph makes the photo have more details and portrays the mood of power which the Anthropocene has over the woman used in the photo as the way in which she has structure the fishing nets and stings it almost as if she is trapped and has no power over it.
Barry Rosenthal – found in nature
Barry Rosenthal in this image uses different tones of blue which brings out the textures in the different objects. Having the background black, and the objects set in a certain way gives the photo more dynamic and draws the eye into the photo. The way Rosenthal has set out the objects used in the photo creates levels as this photo has been taken from a bird eye view. This photo which has been taken for Anthropocene relates to world wide problem of global warming and littering. As some of these objects relate to the beach like the flip flop for example, Rosenthal might be trying to make a point of the rubbish which has been left by man kind creating problems for the sea life which can become very harmful for the ecosystems.
Comparison:
Overall the two images are very similar but in different ways. AS you can see both photographers have Bothe use a different variations a blue objects throughout their photos which I feel could both relate to rubbish found in and around the ocean which has an impact on the world globally (The Anthropocene). Secondly both of the photos have a plain and dull background which makes their main focus off their photographs stand out more leaving the background being their non-focus. Additionally I also feel that these two photographs are very different to each other as Barry Rosenthal photograph is more related to just the objects and how all plastics are bad for the environment having a negative impact on the world. However, on the other hand Jerremy Carroll has based her work on how it can effect us as humans as she has used a model to represent what it does to animals in the sea as she has made the woman in the picture look trapped in the netting which surrounds her. Furthermore both of these photos relate to how tragic plastics can be for the environment.
For the topic of Anthropocene I am going to develop an idea of using unneeded spaces to portray the idea that the Anthropocene is a geological approach which is about the significant human impact on the earth’s geology and ecosystems. I am going to do this by taking photographs of abandoned environments as well as used objects which have been left and abandoned. I am going to take these photos using natural light, however I may use photoshop to add some dark tones to portray the idea that it is unethical for the environment. The use of adding dark tones may highlight the fact that significant humans have had an impact on the Anthropocene.
Additionally I am also going to take images relating to man made items such as a fishing net, plastic bags, and bubble wrap to portray the idea that these sort of items which I have suggested can kill living things so therefore it creates a high impact for the Anthropocene. Once I have taken these photos I am going to edit them in Photoshop to add a dark effect which may create a stigma to the fact that man made items are bad for the environment encouraging people to recycle them and make an attempt to try and stop the Anthropocene for getting any worse.
The word Anthropocene comes from the Greek terms for human and new. The Anthropocene is a geological approach which is about the significant human impact on the earth’s geology and ecosystems including climate change. The Anthropocene is distinguished as a new period either, after or within the Holocene, the current epoch, which began approximately 10,000 years ago with the end of the last glacial period.
We may be able to tackle this topic of Anthropocene through photography by capturing the man made objects such as plastic (e.g shopping bags) to create awareness of what will happen to the world if nothing is done about it. Additionally if people see what is happening to the planet visually it may create more of an impact to do something about it as well as give people more of a consciousness of those who decide to engage with it
New topographics was a term coined by William Jenkins in 1975 to describe a group of American photographers. It was was an exhibition that symbolized a key moment in American landscape photography.
The new topographics reactions were a reaction to the tyranny of the idealised landscape photography which emphasised the natural and the elemental.
Fay Godwin was a British photographer known for her black-and-white landscapes of the British countryside and coast. Her first became interested in photography in the mid-1960s as he started taking photos from a young age which helped her career later on in his life. Personally I like the way in which all of his photographs are in black and white as it adds different characteristics. Additionally In several of her photos graph you can clearly see that she has chosen to take them on a bright day as you can see the sun shining through the clouds adding effect and details to her work. which may suggest that she enjoys taking photographs in the same weather conditions as well as lighting conditions.
IMAGE ANALYSIS
Fay Godwin – Winthrop Reservoir
This photograph in which Godwin has taken has several leading lines through out which add key details and focuses. I personally feel that the main subject of this photograph is the horizon line which falls in the centre of where the photo was taken. She has taken this photo from a straight angle of what it looks to be a cliff path over viewing the reservoir. The relationship in which I feel that Fay Godwin has with the photograph is that she didn’t enjoy how the community were trying to take it away from the public and make it private land. I think the reason behind why she decided to title the image Winthrop Reservoir because her main view of the photograph would of been the reservoir in the distance which may have been the first thing that captured her attention. I feel as if the theme for this photograph is quite negative as the black and white tones create a sense of mystery. Additionally I also feel as the reason to why she put her photograph in black and white could be due to her trying to reflect her photographs to the Vietnam War as this was ongoing during her photography career. The tones of this photograph vary as you can see the harsh and dark tones on the hill to the right whereas on the left you can see the smooth and warm tones on the hill which could reflect the idea of two sides of the Vietnam War fighting against each other.
