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ANTHROPOCENE, Controlled Conditions, Independent, Reading, Task

Anthroposcene Introduction

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The word Anthropocene is largely used in science and was a word given to our current geological epoch, being the stage in the geological time scale where humans are having the greatest effect on the earth in an environmental and climate viewpoint.

This word was adapted by a group of photographers who began to take initiative into creating a visual perspective for how humans effect the earth.

Anthropocene focuses on concepts such as pollution, recourse mining, urbanisation, deforestation, climate change and so on, all as a result of human activity.

ANTHROPOCENE, Controlled Conditions, Independent, Reading, Task

CC – Sebnem Coskun – Anthropocene

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SEBNEM COSKUN – (2nd Photographer)

Sebnem Coskun is an underwater photographic fine artist, who has recently won the first prize in Nature and Environment category and the finalist award in the Photographer of the Year. As for the category in which she won the award, it is the Asia category.

Coskun won the prize in Nature and Environment category with her image. In her image, she took a diver surrounded by COVID-19 waste in the Mediterranean Sea. So, she took this photo of a Turkish diver last year in the Bosporus Strait (similar to a river).

The goal for Coskun as a photojournalist was to raise awareness about plastic pollution in the seas.

This was the award winning photo :

A great success from Turkish photojournalist Şebnem Coşkun

She has taken many other photos which visualise the plastic pollution in our seas.

SOME OF HER OTHER PHOTOS

ANALYSE

Coskun took this photo in Istanbul, Turkey. She quoted the UNDP’s World Free Diving Record-man Sahika Ercumen, who said, “I’ve been swimming between plastic more than fish in recent years in the Istanbul Strait”

The photo clearly and successfully visualises how much plastic there is in the ocean, by using a underwater dome for the camera. This way you can see under and above the water. This creates a nice contrast between the dark teal of the ocean and the bright white in the clouds.

The composition has been nicely executed, as the underwater part is the main focus it takes up most of the image, compared to the sky. The sky is partially blurred, although this does draw attention to the main focal point the plastic pollution.

There aren’t many vivid colours, except for the pieces of plastic, this helps highlights the main problem, as you notice it first.

Overall, I like the whole concept of the image, as it gives a whole new unique perspective. It successfully highlights Coskun’s main goal, which was to raise awareness about the water pollution as well as plastic pollution.

WHY I CHOSE HER?

Coskun has inspired me to follow her footsteps and create a piece which raises awareness about plastic and water pollution in our ocean. I thought it was a good topic as it is a big part of Jersey’s “lifestyle”, as we are on an island.

HOW IM GOING TO ACHIEVE THIS?

There are many ways to achieve this effect, such as :

Option 1 : I could actually arrange a diver to swim under water and I take photos with a GoPro or underwater camera. I could take plastic props and float/sink them under water (them clean them up after) or, edit them in the Photoshop. However, this is time consuming, could cost money and, the props might not work or the water could be too murky. So this may not be the best way.

Option 2 : I could simulate being underwater, for example, going to a studio, fill the room with a fog/smoke then make the studio light blue, to create the illusion of being underwater. Then hang the props from the ceiling with invisible fish line. Although, they would like they are hovering instead of floating. Also, it would not look identical to the ocean, but its is more creative.

Option 3 : Finally, I could create an almost 100% realistic image in Adobe Photoshop, I would take photos of coastal/beach features, such as, rocks, the sea, buoys, and boats. Edit them, and create an environment to put the images of plastic/rubbish into. Overall, I think this idea is the best, as I have experience at using Adobe Photoshop, and would be relatively easy to get images for.

EXPANSION ON OPTION 3 (FINAL IDEA)

For my final piece, I plan to have a half underwater/ half above water like Coskun’s image I analysed, the under water part would have lots of plastic bottles, fishing equipment (crab nets) and, other rubbish in, and maybe a boat in the centre of the image, as it would help the viewer work out the perspective of the image.

I would use the photos of plastic bottles, nets and other rubbish that I got from my photoshoots. Then, I would add them into the water, after I have made the landscape and sea.

For the underwater shot I would use an old photograph a fish tank/aquarium to get a clearer vision underwater (checked if I was allowed to use it first with Mr Cole), and the above water shot I would go to the beach. And finally put it all together in Photoshop.

Controlled Conditions, Uncategorized

Anthropocene: Final Outcomes + Editing

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Framing

I wanted to incorporate Yao Lu’s style of framing and cropping the image because I like how it is different to the standard rectangular shape and adds a different aspect to the image. I used the Elliptical marquee tool to cut out a circle from the original image and transferred it onto a new plain A4 document.

Photo Montage

A photomontage is made of an assembly of photographs cut and glued together physically or digitally, giving a photo a different appearance, by rearranging and overlapping photos to create a new photo.

Before editing my photos onto the landscape I used adjustments to change the lighting to match each other. I used the quick selection tool to select what I wanted from the singular photos of the fishing nets and copied and pasted them onto the circular photo. I then used the lasso tool to clean up the edges and get rid of the parts I did not want.

Colour Adjustments

I adjusted the Hue so that the green and blue tones were warmer and appeared more red and yellow because I think that this works better than the original colouring of the image.

Final Outcomes

When the prints arrive I would like to cut them into perfect circles and present them all together as small circles in a square or in a row on the same board, rather than being on separate boards or individually framed.

ANTHROPOCENE, Controlled Conditions

case study- GEORGE MARAZAKIS

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Greek photographer, George Marazakis (born in 1976 Creta Island Greece), takes Anthropocene as both concept and title for a series that looks at a new epoch engendered by the greed of mankind. He studied mechanical engineering and works for the Greek Ministry of Justice. In his series ‘A Cure for Anthropocene’ he says that an external observer could describe Anthropocene as an autoimmune disease attacking its own body. However, what it would consider as a disease is our very existence and the cure, the ecological movement, does not aim at the salvation of the planet but at the salvation of human existence on the planet. Humanity’s impact on the Earths geology is so crucial that the 11,650 years old Holocene, the current Geological epoch, is proposed to be replaced by a new one called Anthropocene, from the Greek word ‘anthropos’ for human.

Image Analysis

This image has been taken in natural lighting from what looks to be a slightly raised view that is far away. The image is somewhat dull as the grass is a pale green even where the sun is shining on it and the rest of the background is only filled with white and grey tones. I think this image shows Anthropocene well as it clearly shows a natural landscape of a cliff, however it has a man made math all the way down it as though it has been cut and scarred the landscape. This image is a perfect example of a small portion of humans impact on the Earth as most cliffs now have paths that have been purposely made or have paths that have been made by humans walking the same way constantly and the grass wearing away over time. I believe with Jerseys huge range of cliff path walks I can take images inspired by George Marazakis.

ANTHROPOCENE, Controlled Conditions, Independent, Reading, Task

CC – Dillon Saw – Anthropocene

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WHO IS DILLON SAW? – (1st Artist/Photographer. Altered Landscapes)

Dillon started taking photos to capture beautiful sunsets in full detail that his phone couldn’t. After, he shot mostly landscapes and city-scapes, although he also enjoys portraiture. However he creates unique pieces in Adobe Photoshop by manipulating photos.

This is his Website where he showcases his work and information.

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WHY I CHOSE DILLON SAW?

The main reason I chose him was to incorporate his way of work into my work and final piece, with the photo manipulation.

Although, Dillon Saw also focuses on natural landscapes and views, such as waterfalls and space and photos of galaxy’s.

I plan to make a main piece focusing on water/plastic pollution pollution inspired by Sebnem Coskun, but in the style of Saw’s work.

After, I make the water/plastic pollution piece, and still have time, I will create a piece in Saw’s style. I plan to take photos of the stars, galaxy and the Moon, as well as landscapes to create a final altered landscape in Adobe Photoshop, inspired by Dillon Saw, as a secondary piece.

IMAGE ANALYSE

I chose to analyse this image as it displays the fantasy and surrealism aspect that I’m looking to incorporate into my work.

Firstly, this image was created in Photoshop, I estimate the amount of images used in this image to be 5-7. Starting with the hills (maybe the hills in the foreground +1), possibly the tree, the birds, the sky, the Moon, and the stars.

Saw has positioned the two main elements along the vertical centre line, the tree and the Moon. This creates a focus on mainly the moon as the sky takes up most of the image. It being on the centre line allows the moon the take up a larger space in the image, which shows that Saw has thought about composition. This creates a theme and mood, which is a space/galactic, that can come across as calming.

Keeping the calming aspect, the dominant colours being blue and purple is its own dynamic in itself. The colour purple is often associated with power, mystery, and grandeur which links back to space and the never-ending universe. The colour blue represents faith, confidence, and loyalty, which has ties to the planet that we live on, that we see everyday, and are familiar with. The combination of blue and purple creates a sunset/evening scene that shows the transition to night fall that exposes the view into space.

The moon having pointed ends and being brighter then its surroundings, it draws attention to itself and separates it form the calming environment, which is full of natural lines, therefore it contrasts with the prefect curves of the moon. Making the moon the main focus. This creates an uneasy feeling as space is the main focus. The fact that it is in a surreal/man-made, created environment can cause people the think how much of space is unknown, and how we will never know 100% what is out there.

ANTHROPOCENE, Controlled Conditions, Independent

Anthropocene – Mindmap and Ideas

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Anthropocene Moodboard

Initial Ideas

After researching different object, portrait and abstract photographers and analysing their techniques to portray ‘Anthropocene’, I have decided to focus my project on landscape photography as I would like to demonstrate how man-made structures are increasingly impacting our natural environment. I plan on capturing landscapes around Jersey in three different stages; the first highlighting the beautiful natural areas in reservoirs and woodlands, the second showing areas of Jersey where nature can still be seen however man’s impact is taking effect and the third exhibiting the cluttered industrial landscapes of our island. My concept is to produce three final images in a sequence, with each image showing the increasing levels of environmental destruction and foreshadowing how a future of mass industrialisation is growing closer every minute.

ANTHROPOCENE, Controlled Conditions, Independent

Anthropocene – Introduction

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What is Anthropocene?

Anthropocene is the word used to describe Earth’s most current state, a time where humans are the primary source and most influential factor of global warming, climate change and other changes to land, environment, water, organisms and the atmosphere. For the last 11,500 years, Earth has been in the Holocene Epoch. It began at the end of the last ice age, when the glaciers that had previously covered Earth disappeared, over the years humans have built cities and achieved colossal technological advancements. Scientists are still debating the proof for the Anthropocene and are looking for what’s known as a ‘golden spike’ – a marker in the fossil record which could demarcate the Holocene from the Anthropocene. Some people suggest the Anthropocene began at the start of Britain’s Industrial Revolution in the eighteenth century, which created the world’s first fossil fuel economy.

Anthropocene In Photography

In recent years, photographers have taken it upon themselves to use their skills in order to capture the devastating Anthropocene state of our world. The portrayal of this destruction has been photographed through many mediums as well as just landscapes, such as portraiture, object images and abstract photography. Photographers such as Steven Gallagher and Naomi White have demonstrated their opinions and ideas on Anthropocene through capturing plastic bags, whereas Alexandra Bellissamo has taken portraiture based images to show the relationship between nature and mankind. Nicholas de Pencier, Edward Burtynsky, and Jennifer Baichwal are the team which collaborated on ‘The Anthropocene Project’. The project was described as ‘a multimedia exploration of the complex and indelible human signature on the Earth’ capturing ‘the most spectacular evidence of human influence, while taking time to reflect on the deeper meaning of what these profound transformations signify’. More information on ‘The Anthropocene Project’ can be found here.

Artists Of Anthropocene Video

  • Edward Burtynsky
  • Alexandra Bellissamo
  • Naomi White
  • Barry Rosenthal
  • Steven Gallagher
  • Edward Burtynsky
ANTHROPOCENE, Controlled Conditions, Independent, Uncategorized

Anthropocene: Landscape Photo Shoots

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These landscape photos will be the background for the images that I will collage on, incorporating both Yao Lu’s dumpsites and Vilde Rolfsen’s Plastic bag ideas into one image.

Photo Shoot Plan

Photo Shoot Plan:
WhoI will not need anyone as I am focusing on landscapes.
WhereLocation 1- North Coast focusing on cliffs and big rocks in the sea.
Location 2-West Coast focusing on the beach, sea and cliffs.
WhyI would like to have different outcomes which focus on different things.
For the rocks and the cliffs I plan to later edit the piles/mountains of rubbish photographed from the dump.
WhenI will go on a less sunny day so that the sky is grey and cloudy to create the atmosphere I want in the final outcomes. 
HowI will use a camera and take these at eye level.

Contact Sheets

North Coast:
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When taking these photos I tried to focus on the positioning of the cliffs and the rocks in the sea. making sure that when I edit them later, manipulating the sea and cliffs, that they will look good and not be too busy.

West Coast:

When taking these photos I focused on the compositions but also tried to get photos which were different to the average beach pictures and include new aspects like the rocks on the beach because I want my final outcomes to be different to one another.

Controlled Conditions, Uncategorized

Anthropocene: Vilde Rolfsen Image Analysis

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Image Analysis

Key Themes – Vilde Rolfsen’s photos focus on the effects of plastic waste to our land and seas, focusing on discarded bags that Rolfsen finds on Oslo’s streets. She hopes that her work will get viewers to think more about their own consumption patterns and help them make a choice to do something rather than being told. She took inspiration from her home country Norway and took plastic bags to photograph them to look like mountains and glaciers.

Vilde Rolfsen - PLASTIC BAG LANDSCAPES | Archive Collective Magazine
From Series ‘Plastic Bag Landscapes’.

Content – A plastic bag that has been taken from close up to make it appear as a glacier or something that is natural and not man made from harmful chemicals.

Formal Elements – Rolfsen used a darker purple/blue light which has a high contrast with the white plastic bag which creates a high tonal range between light and dark. This makes the atmosphere feel dark along with the movement in the bag, the structure creates creases and texture in the bag highlighting the dark shadows in the bag. The centre of the image is in focus but the outer edge is blurred which creates a deep depth of field which leads the viewers eye to the centre of the image as it is also darkest in the centre and lighter on the edge. the structure and lines shown in this image could relate to how a plastic bag is man made and is not naturally formed.

Mood – The image is very dark and gloomy due to the colours used and the structure within the bag.

ANTHROPOCENE, Controlled Conditions

inspiration: George Marazaki / Yves Marchand & Romain Meffre

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George Marazaki

George Marazakis born in 1976 in Creta Island Greece where he resides with his significant other and their child. He contemplated Mechanical Engineering and works for the Municipality of Heraklion.

Yves Marchand & Romain Meffre

Since 2002, photographic artists Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre have been joined by their common enthusiasm for contemporary remnants. They catch lost goals and blurred wonder by shooting the structures that are abandoned. Present day ruins or outdated, deserted structures, reused for business purposes as shops or markets, are carefully caught. Their fine art is on occasion startling and distancing, yet continually entrancing and alleviating.