When I visited Hamptonne, we experimented with taking photos with the help of a Jersey Photographer called Tom Kennedy. He helped and taught us about how to use the natural and forced lighting and how it can change a photo to look like a painting. I enjoyed working with Tom Kennedy and the skills which I have used from him I will consider and transfer into my other work as some of the techniques and tips were quite helpful.

My photos

In Hamptonne, I began by taking a few photos of the women outside Hamptonne who were spinning wool on a wheel and looking quite casual which would look like an activity they would have done in the farm to help their families make money and create clothes fir them as well. Then I focussed on photographing this woman who acted as a housewife and with the help and influence of Tom Kennedy who began by showing us how to create a perfect photo that looks like a painting and how the lighting can change due to being in various places in the house holding different objects and carrying out a range of poses.

Best shots –

Then I went onto Adobe Lightroom and use “Z” to pick out my photos from the “Portraits” subfolder of “Hamptonne” that I created which I thought were my most successful ones where I could experiment editing the lighting/tones/contrasts/etc and then changing them into black and white and comparing which versions I like more.

Experimenting and comparisons

Photo 1 –

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For this edit, I really liked how it turned out because of the model who was caught naturally with a genuine smile on her face because it looks as if she is just carrying out a task from her everyday life with watching over the fire, which I created that homely maybe even over used feeling of the fire, that she made which can be used later on to make food for herself or her family.

I began by bringing down the exposure so that the overexposed part of the photo, which was created due to the sunlight became quite controlled and darker, then I used the contrast to make it darker as well. Then I used the highlights and whites which helped to bring back the sunlight which was lost due to this as I liked how it fell on her and created a nice glow on the surroundings too. I wanted to create the feeling as if the fireplace has burnt the surroundings of the ceiling and background, like it has been used a lot to create a homely feeling, so I used the shadows and blacks to create this coal-burnt effect on the ceiling and in the background behind it. If I were to try again with this edit I think that I could have tried to control the sunlight a little but more because it is still quite more over exposed then I would’ve liked it to be as it creates a glare on the photo which I don’t like.

I wanted to experiment with putting this picture into black and white because I wanted to create quite a dramatic atmosphere to be created from the effect of it. I think that this has been done but to improve I think that I could have experimented a little more with the contrasts and made the duller, grey/black tones darker to create a heavy contrast from the white tones, because I really like the effect it creates when editing a picture in that way. In my next edit of another photo, I will remember this and try to enhance my work so that this effect can be portrayed better.

Photo 2 –

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For this edit, which I created on Lightroom I think that the lighting and glare from the sunlight became controlled through the editing as beforehand it made the space next to the model look really empty and plain and then through editing it I really liked how it turned out because the details and creamy colours of the wall came through which I achieved through editing it. If I were to improve the edit, before turning it into back and white, I think that I could have centred it through cropping made sure that the editing didn’t make the lighting/colour of the wall to fall to a grey colour so that it would highlight the model behind her instead so that she would stand out well as she fades in to the wall instead.

In Adobe Lightroom I began by bringing the exposure and contrast down which made the lighting/tones of the photo darker because I wanted to create a gloomy effect instead of the warm, sunny one from the sunlight. I developed this editing further by using the shadows and blacks to create this darker border around her which you can see as it guides your focus towards her as the main subject in the photo. To control the sunlight which was creating this overexposed look on her outfit I used the whites and highlights, and by bringing them down it made it appear more defined and the finer details from the creases, became clearer to see which I really liked. If I were to improve this edit further again, like I previously said I would adjust the filters so that the wall doesn’t fall to a grey colour and I would crop it a small bit so that she appears more centred in the photo and I would get rid of the window ledge so that it makes the edit look more balanced and equal on each side.

To develop this portrait further, in Adobe Lightroom I changed the photo into black and white. I did this through using the “monochrome” option which transforms the photo, I then adjusted the options further so that it made the edit look quite balanced and to emphasize the black outline around her, which I really liked, I used the “Vignette” effect which added this darker hue around the portrait almost as if it is in a frame, which makes it look old and vintage. I really liked changing this photo into black and white as I like how I created a high contrast between the darker and lighter tones as it creates points of the photo which attract your attention well as they stand out.

Here are the photos from my Hamptonne trip which show various objects, wildlife, people and places which I photographed. For the portraits we had help from the local Jersey photographer Tom Kennedy, whose a lot of work is taken at Hamptonne.

On Adobe Lightroom I used Z to choose which ones I thought were successful which is seen below.

For most of my photos, the lighting was quite bright as it was around morning/midday. For my photos, I wanted to edit them so they would appear much darker, but still have a level of softness and contrast with the warmer wood/sunlight tones against the shadows or objects.

An environmental portrait is a portrait executed in the subject’s usual environment, such as in their home or workplace, and typically illuminates the subject’s life and surroundings. The term is most frequently used of a genre of photography.

By photographing a person in their natural surroundings, it is thought that you will be able to better illuminate their character, and therefore portray the essence of their personality, rather than merely a likeness of their physical features. It is also thought that by photographing a person in their natural surroundings, the subject will be more at ease, and so be more conducive to expressing themselves, as opposed to in a studio, which can be a rather intimidating and artificial experience.

The surroundings or background is a key element in environmental portraiture, and is used to convey further information about the person being photographed. Where it is common in studio portraiture and even in location candid photography to shoot using a shallow depth of field, thereby throwing the background out of focus, the background in environmental portraiture is an integral part of the image. Indeed, small apertures and great depth of field are commonly used in this type of photography.

Here are a few of my edited pictures from my Hamptonne photoshoot.

I chose this image as I love the contrasting colours from the wheel and the plants in the background, I wanted to add a green tone to the image to emphasis the plants behind.

I thought this image was good because the pigs represent the farm life at Hamptonne, I also liked the composition of the pigs because it captures them in their natural form.

I chose this image because of the almost iridescent feathers of the chicken, chickens are also a huge a part of Hamptonnes farm life, the composition of the chicken is also great as you can see its body and also its face.

This is an image of one of the actors who plays a wool knitter, this was an important role in jerseys history as it was a large producer of wool products. I decided to edit this image because it captures the clothing and the feel of life in the Georgian era, I also found the orange shade dress was a brilliant colour.

This is an image of another actor who played a the role of a common woman in the Georgian times, I edited this one in black and white I felt it captured the shadows and light nicely.

This picture is of the same actor, she is acting as if she was doing her duties of what a woman would do at the time.

I captured the furniture and room accessories of the time to show how much times have changed, from candle lit rooms, to automatic lights that we have today.

I love the warm feel of this photo, I feel it captures the end of summer well with the vibrant red berries, and the sun light sitting on the wall.

Moodboard

Inspiration

Arnold Newman (1918-2006) is well-known for his work which has changed portraiture. He is known as the “Father of Environmental Portraiture.” Newman’s work was collected and exhibited numerous of the biggest museums in the world.

Newman was an important contributor to publications such as New York, Vanity Fair, LIFE, Look, Holiday, Harper’s Bazaar, Esquire, Town and Country, Scientific American, New York Times Magazine, and many others.

There are numerous books published of Newman’s work in addition to countless histories of photography, catalogues, articles and television programs. He received many major awards by the leading professional organizations in the U.S. and abroad including the American Society of Media Photographers, The International Center of Photography, The Lucie Award, The Royal Photographic Society Centenary Award as well as France’s “Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters.”

In 2005, Photo District News named Newman as one of the 25 most influential living photographers. In 2006, Newman was awarded The Gold Medal for Photography by The National Arts Club. He is the recipient of nine honorary doctorates and has lectured and conducted workshops throughout the country and the world.

2 People

To improve my photoshoot I need to check that my camera settings are suitable for the conditions that I’m photographing in because I found that the aperture was too low leaving my photographs dark and underexposed.

Photoshoot 1-

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Adobe Lightroom- Editing my images

Final Images

An environmental portrait is a portrait executed in the subject’s usual environment, such as in their home or workplace, and typically illuminates the subject’s life and surroundings. The term is most frequently used of a genre of photography.

Final Hamptonne Images-

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I visited Jersey Museum on 1st October 2021 to look at corn riots and protest displays.

The corn riots

WHAT WERE THE CORN RIOTS ALL ABOUT?
A MONOPOLY ON POWER
During the 18th century, power in Jersey was concentrated in the hands of the Lemprière family. In 1750, Charles Lemprière was appointed Lieutenant Bailiff, while his brother Philippe was named Receiver-General.

One of Charles Lemprière’s major opponents within the Island was Nicholas Fiott. He was a captain and merchant who had disagreements with Lemprière going back many years. Things came to a head in the mid-1760s when Fiott struggled to find a lawyer to represent him in the Royal Court as they were all appointed by Lemprière.

Finally, Fiott took his frustrations to the Court. This was the opportunity for which Lemprière had been waiting. Fiott made his objections in writing and was prosecuted by Lemprière for insulting members of the Court. Fiott was fined and sentenced to ‘amende honorable’, which meant that he had to get down on his knees and pray for the forgiveness of God, the King and the Court. He refused to comply with the sentence and was sent to prison for a month .On his release, Fiott left the Island.

RISING FOOD PRICES
In 1767, people protested about the export of grain from the Island. Anonymous threats were made against shipowners and a law was passed the following year to keep corn in Jersey. In August 1769 the States of Jersey repealed this law, claiming that crops in the Island were plentiful. There was suspicion that this was a ploy to raise the price of wheat, which would be beneficial to the rich, many of whom had ‘rentes’ owed to them on properties that were payable in wheat. As major landowners, the Lemprière family stood to profit hugely.

ACTS OF RESISTANCE
In the summer of 1769, a ship loaded with corn for export was raided by a group of women who demanded that the sailors unload their cargo and sell it in the Island. ‘Let us die on the spot, rather than by languishing in famine. God hath given us corn, and we will keep it, in spite of the Lemprières, and the court, for if we trust to them they will starve us’.

THE CORN RIOTS
On Thursday 28 September 1769, a Court called the Assize d’Héritage was sitting, hearing cases relating to property disputes. The Lieutenant Bailiff, Charles Lemprière, sat as the Head of the Court. Meanwhile, a group of disgruntled individuals from Trinity, St Martin, St John, St Lawrence and St Saviour marched towards Town where their numbers were swelled by residents of St Helier. The group was met at the door of the Royal Court and was urged to disperse and send its demands in a more respectful manner. However, the crowd forced its way into the Court Room armed with clubs and sticks. Inside, they ordered that their demands be written down in the Court book. Although the King later commanded that the lines be removed from the book, a transcription survives that shows the crowd’s demands.

The demands of the Corn Riots protestors included:

• That the price of wheat be lowered and set at 20 sols per cabot.

• That foreigners be ejected from the Island.

• That his Majesty’s tithes be reduced to 20 sols per vergée.

• That the value of the liard coin be set to 4 per sol.

• That there should be a limit on the sales tax.

• That seigneurs stop enjoying the practice of champart (the right to every twelfth sheaf of corn or bundle of flax).

• That seigneurs end the right of ‘Jouir des Successions’(the right to enjoy anyone’s estate for a year and a day if they die without heirs).

• That branchage fines could no longer be imposed.

• That Rectors could no longer charge tithes except on apples.

• That charges against Captain Nicholas Fiott be dropped and that he be allowed to return to the Island without an inquiry.

• That the Customs’ House officers be ejected.

THE AFTERMATH
In the days following the riot there was relative peace in the Island. On Saturday the demands were published in the Public Market, and on Sunday they were proclaimed in the majority of the parishes. On Sunday evening, however, the Lieutenant Bailiff and the Jurats fled to Elizabeth Castle for safety. Perhaps there was a threat received, or they thought it would look good politically if they seemed to be in danger.

On 6 October, a meeting of the States of Jersey was held at the Castle when it was agreed that Charles Lemprière, together with two Jurats, and Philippe Lemprière, the Attorney General, would journey to London in order to present their difficulties to the Privy Council, representing the Crown.

At first, the Privy Council was outraged by their reports and commanded that the demands of the rioters be erased from the Court records. On 1 November, a Royal Pardon and a reward of £100 was offered to any rioters who named the ringleaders. After the full situation in the Island became clear, the protestors were eventually pardoned.

Protests in Jersey

People! Power! Protest!

In 1769, protestors forced their way into the Royal Court and demanded lower wheat prices and fairer government.

Black Lives Matter Protest

In 2020. many protested in Jersey for the prevention of police brutality and racism. This was after the death of George Floyd in America.

The ‘People! Power! Protest!’ exhibition at Jersey museum explores the story of protest in Jersey, from the Corn Riots of 1769 to the Black Lives Matter movement of 2020. Jersey has a fascinating history of protest in the Island and the theme of the exhibition coincides with the 250^th anniversary of the Code of Laws that was introduced in response to the Corn Riots.

The exhibition explores how the right to protest has shaped and influenced the Island that we know today, from historic protests, such as the Corn Riots, to more recent protests such as Extinction Rebellion and Black Lives Matter.

Among the items on display is the official 18^th century court records showing the redacted demands of the Corn Riots protestors, and the petition signed by thousands of people to try and save Queen’s Valley from being flooded in the 1980s. There are also the banners and placards from other protests over the years and photographs of significant post-war campaigns and demonstrations.

THE JERSEY CORN RIOTS

In 1769, landowners were exporting wheat from Jersey to England, where a bad harvest had driven up the price.

Frustrated with the resulting food shortages, rising prices, the unfair taxation system and Jersey’s power structure, around 500 hundred islanders stormed the Royal Court with 13 demands to alleviate their struggles on September 28th 1769.

Though there was no known loss of life, many came armed with sticks and clubs, and an usher was thrown over the court railing during the disturbance.

The event paved the way for major political reform on the island. In the reform, known as the Code of 1771, the Royal Court was stripped of its legislative powers, meaning that from 1771, only the States Assembly could create laws.

MY FAVORITE PHOTOS FROM THE TRIP

Contact Sheets

First i organized all my photos into folders; exterior, interior, portraits, objects, and animals. Then I rated the photos with stars for example one star would be a blurry photo with bad lighting and 5 stars would be a really high quality photo.

Editing Process

I made this photo darker to put more emphasis on the natural lighting coming from the window, but still kept focus on the woman in the photo.