Barry Rosenthal is a fine art photographer who collects rubbish from beaches and make a new purpose for it. He studied at the Dayton art institute in Ohio focusing on photography, as well as going to different workshops in New York. He take then rubbish back to his studio and lays it out on black card and takes images of it as seen below. Each of his image have a specific theme, colour, shape, or its intended use. Rosenthal use his work as a message to people about our ecosystem becoming damaged and polluted etc. More than five trillion pieces of plastic are already in the oceans and now we are adding around nine million tones each year. This is his main focus of his work, telling people about what he has discovered and what he is doing in order to try and help. Many of the pieces of plastic Barry uses have either lost their original shape, colour etc, showing who they have been on a journey before he finds them and give them a new purpose. He likes his images to have a narrative behind them in the hope that he will catch viewers attention while creating some unique images.
For the first part of this shoot I am going to visit different beaches collecting any kind of plastic or debris which I find, I will then set up a mini shoot and photograph what I collect, in the style of Barry Rosenthal.
Secondly, following the same route, I am going to take images inspired by him using different objects such as any odd bits and bobs around my house. For example I could use a draw from my kitchen and photograph whatever I find in it, to do this I would lay it all out on black card and make sure that I have the correct lighting. I would the the image from above like my inspiration, Barry Rosenthal, has.
Lastly I am going to photography any industrial buildings in Jersey that follow the theme of Anthropocene with damaging the earth in some way such as air pollution etc.
Anthropocene it was raised by the biologist Eugene Stoermer in the 1980s meaning the effect of human activity, it is a term used today to describe how our planet has become more and more impacted by humans, such as the climate and ecosystem. ‘Anthropo’ means man and ‘cene’ means new, telling us how man-kind is damaging the earth. The theory of Anthropocene claims that the domination of humans is damaging the earth causing it to move into a novel geological epoch. Some examples of it are global warming and climate change, pollution such as plastics in the ocean, animal extinction and more.
In terms of photography, photographers have tried to use their work as a way of communication to the world about how our world is changing. It focuses on the future of the earth and and ways that we can help to prevent it from becoming worse like recycling or picking up plastic from the beaches.
some Anthropocene photographers:
Mandy Barker Steven GallagherSophie Thomas Naomi WhiteBarry Rosenthal
Shore was an American photographer known for his use of colour in his photography and the banal scenes and objects. He took cross-country road ships in the 1970’s to capture some of his images. Many of his images capture the retro theme with the different colour lights and tones of the colours. His work has been published widely for over forty-five years and inspires many photographers.
some of his work:
Analysis:
Below is one of shore’s most famous images. I like how it is full of colours mainly, red and blue with the beige colours toning down the image. I think is stands out nicely and draws viewers into I because it is very simple and ordinary making it feel like we can all connect to it in different ways. The different shapes are all quite sharp with straight edges as well as different shapes and sizes with give a unique effect making us look for the detail. I feel this image follows an urban theme almost as the tones and shades of colours give an autumn feeling.
For the images above and below I tried to capture the ‘urban’ style. I used roads surrounded with buildings making the viewer feel like they are actually there. I then used Lightroom to edit my images enhancing their exposure etc. I like how these image turned out as they almost capture the life of the buildings, they also close in giving the image a path for you to focus on. For these images I wanted them to feel more industrial. I used the La Collette area and photographed the buildings and tanks etc. I think these images came out very effective as the area is so big it allows for a lot to be in one image. I like how the different parts of the buildings draw the attention of viewers into the centre of the images and have great depth.
Urban photography is where all elements are included such as landscape, architecture as well as photojournalism. It focuses on buildings and the rustic style. For this photoshoot I am going to use La Collette as it is a very industrial area, as well as central town which is full of buildings.
mood board:
contact sheet:
I selected the image that I wished to use based on their quality and whether they followed the ‘urban’ theme. I then used Lightroom classic to edit my image slightly to improve their exposure and contrast.
In the two images above and below, I used the same photo and kept one in could and made one black and white. In the first image I like how the orange tones contras with the darker tones at the bottom of the image as well as with the white of the building. Similarly in the second image I think that the black and white works well with this image as the top half of the image is lighter tones and the bottom half is darker tones. In these three images I tried to use the lighting to make my images stand out. I also made the images contras with the darker tones within them as well as lighter tones such as in the sky. I like how these image came out and think they follow the theme of ‘rural photography’ nicely. I like these image because it captures the ‘rural’ element. I think that the varsity of the image draws the viewer in as they almost never end.
rural photography contains elements of the countryside, and typically it captures the presence of nature. It focuses on the light and exposure of an image adding depth and a range of different tones to them. I am going to focus on fields and large spaces of empty land trying to capture the countryside, as well as any little lanes or paths.
mood board:
contract sheet:
Firstly I flagged all of my images with the ones I wished to use and the ones that were not so good.I then used develop mode on Lightroom classic to edit and adjust my images. Image sure that the images were clear and had the correct exposure and highlights to contrast.
I think this image hold great depth and like how the sunlight rays the seep through thew clouds make the image very effective. The tones also set the image allowing the viewer to create a scene in their mind of the landscape. In this image I like how the waves contrast with the rocks with the dark and light tones, they make the image stand out and become bold I like how the splashes add texture to the image and give it something more then just a coastline image. This image also includes the waves which add detail to the image making it more intriguing. I like how the sky is very overcast which allows for the image to become a bit eerie and give the image more dramatic effects. I like how this image of mine contrasts to the others as it is more bright rather than dull. The different blues and greys catch the viewers attention making them interested in the image. I think that this image is very effective as the land contrasts nicely to the sea. In this image I think that the white houses give the image a focus point, they give the viewer something to start looking at and then allow them to find the more detailed, darker toned objects. The waves also add detail as the contrast with the rest of the image. I think that this image hold detail mainly in the clouds, the highlights give the image something to allow it to stand out. I like how it it a simple image yet had effective details and depth allowing the image to be more than just a coastal view. For my final image I like how it is brighter than the rest of my images. I think that the colour range works well together with the neutral tones. I also like how it captures the land at the sea which allow for main contrast as well as the different shade of blue from the sky.
For my first photoshoot on landscape I visited different locations in Jersey such as Greve de Lecq, Plemount, and St Catherine’s, as well as some locations off island. I focused my images on the theme of ‘The Sublime’ capturing rocks, seas, coastlines etc. I tried to change my aperture and exposure to create different looks in the images, drawing viewers in.
contact sheet:
comparisons:
Ansel’s images:
My images:
I like how my two image link with the triangle shape in the centre of the image, but contrast as one is a cut out in the rock and the other is pure rock. They also contrast as the background in the image on the left is very dark with the light seeping through into the cave, however on the right the background is mainly lighter with the centre darker. I also like how they both include water falling off the rocks.
Ansel’s image:
My images:
Overall I think that my images represent Ansel’s with a more modern twist, I think that because my images are black and white it makes them feel more detailed with different tones and depth. I like how my images turned out as they draw viewers in with their intriguing landscapes. I think that in both images the blade at the top on the image is where viewers eyes would first be drawn to. In the image on the left I think that the clouds then create a path for our eyes to flow down into the main part of the image and onto the land. I think that because of this it makes the image easy to analyse and focus on. I also like how there is two different tones in the sea showing the water and the sand almost making it look as if it is being protected as because we are an island we are quite venerable. In the image on the right I think that the different paths and patterns on the land give something for the viewers eyes to be engaged into. Because the image is in black and white it give the land more prominent detail making the image very busy. I like how the image has texture within it as it make for a more interesting image. I also like the contrast that it holds between the light fluffy clouds and the sharp edged crater as well as the rocky cliffs.
