Anthropocene:

One of my favourite topics that I have shot during this course has been Anthropocene. I decided to focus my shoot on car light pollution. I thought this would fit the theme of Anthropocene well, as it focuses on how the world has been altered through human impact. Due to the vast amount of people who drive cars, toxic fumes are released into the air impacting on wild life and the environment. I decided to do this photo shoot during rush hour in the week in order to get images with the most amount of cars in. I also had to wait for the sun to set for around 5:30pm to gain the highest quality images for the lights. To create a light trail, i kept my IOS as low as possible, changed my shutter speed to around 60 seconds long, and finally, i changed my aperture to around F/16.

For this photoshoot I took inspiration from a British photographer MSH*. MSH* captures the hectic moments of rush hour in London by using slow shutter speeds/ long exposures which creates light trails. Although there is not a lot of information on this photographer I took inspiration from his images. The photos I have created are quite calm images however, the light trails create a sense of urgency and rush.

Below are some inspiration images that I based my project on:

Femininity:

Another theme that I thoroughly enjoyed the process to was Femininity. My main inspiration for this photoshoot was Justine Kurland’s ‘Girl Pictures’ book. I believe that this book defines feminism very well due to every photo being very unique and capturing different types of people.

Justine Kurland’s Girl pictures bring a sense of nostalgia. Every girl in each photo have their own story however come together to live a similar lifestyle. They live without a care in the world, and are truly living their teenage years. Therefore many of the images in Girl Pictures were taken outside in locations that feel desolate or easy to overlook. They are often staged under bridges or beyond fences or on the sides of highways; places that feel synonymous with warnings. The privacy of the overpass is also potent with all the stories we’ve heard of women getting hurt in such places.

This was my mood board for the photo shoot:

Justine Kurland’s ‘the wall 2000’ was my reference image for this comparison as it has some similarities but also many differences. one of the similarities being how two subjects are looking into the camera and the other three subjects, further away from the camera aren’t looking towards it. However, a difference is the locations of the two images, although both images are clearly taken outdoors my interpretation has an open field behind it. Whereas in the reference photo, the wall creates a feeling that the girls are trapped and their expression and clothing suggest that they are lost.

Overall, I think this was my favourite photoshoot I have done as I believe it is empowering. It shows femininity in a beautiful way where women are helping and comforting other women. In some ways Kurland’s images break the stereotype of women, in the sense of girls wondering around in the ‘wild’ away from the hustle and bustle of a city or town. However in other ways, her images feed into stereotypes. For example the image in the bathroom is almost ‘proving’ that women ‘take too long getting ready’.

Environmental Portraits:

Another topic in which I am wanting to take inspiration on in my personal study is Environmental Portraiture. I thoroughly enjoyed this theme as I believe that this type of photography can show a lot about someone and their background.

An environmental portrait is a photographed portrait that captures subjects in their natural surroundings instead of in a studio or other artificial setup. Rather than focusing on what the subject looks like, environmental portrait photographers use the background to portray a truth or convey an idea about who the subject is. Shooting environmental portraits can be a great way to create visual interest while also revealing something about your subject’s life and personality. Environmental portraits provide context, something that studio portrait headshots often lack.

Here was my mood board for my first shoot:

Outcome:

Shoot 2 mood board:

Outcome:

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I believe that this photoshoot outcome was overall positive. We got many images of Elizabeth Castle relating to the Nazi Occupation. However, I do believe that we could have done with some more images and also recorded some videos to include in the film.

Lightroom:

To edit all of our photos, we used Lightroom where we could enhance all of the features to create a mood within each image. We also used Lightroom to resize the images for adobe premiere.

Adobe Premiere:

Premiere Pro is designed for a video editor’s post-production workflow. It’s equipped with a suite of powerful editing tools for content creators and filmmakers to organize and edit video files as well as to enhance and fine-tune audio and image quality.

Due to out short film only being still images, I started by importing all of the final edits into Adobe Premiere Pro. II created sub folders for my images so it would be easier to find my images.

When importing all of the images into Adobe Premiere, each image was zoomed in, therefore we had to scale every image to the right size. we could also use the scale to crop out part of the image we do not want in the short film.

I created transitions between each image to allow all the photos to flow together. I did this by adding key frames. I opened up the top bar and on each image a would add four key frames. The first two would be on a inclining angle where as the last two would be on a declining angle, this creates a fade between each frame.

Adobe Audition:

Adobe Audition:

On Adobe Audition we played around with sounds and started creating the audio for our short film.

During the lesson where we were being taught how to use adobe audition, we learnt how to cancel out background noise and add in sound effects. the audio was collected from our visit to Elizabeth castle. My aim is to enhance the audio to make it clear while ensuring it fits in with the Nazi Occupation theme.

Using the ‘multitrack’ feature I began to layer different sounds including ambiances and SFX to create a suitable audio file for the short film.

Using the sound bar I was able to adjust the volume of the clip allowing the sound to slowly get louder or quieter and could be faded in/out. This meant that there were no harsh transitions between sounds.

Once i was happy with the audio I had created I needed to import it for the film but first had to comprise all the sounds into one. I did this by going FILE>EXPORT>MULTITRACK MIXDOWN>ENTIRE SESSION and then save it as a file ready to export it onto the film.

What is an Archive?

Archives are organized collections of historical records, documents, and other materials that are preserved and maintained for research, historical, and cultural purposes. These collections may be physical, digital, or a combination of both, and they serve as important repositories of information and knowledge. One of the primary functions of archives is to preserve historical materials. Archivists use specialized techniques and storage methods to protect documents and artifacts from deterioration, damage, and loss. This may involve climate control, conservation efforts, and digitization to ensure long-term accessibility.

What are the functions and purposes of photo archives?

Preservation of visual history/ education:

Photo archives are collections of images that document historical events, people, places, and cultures. Their primary purpose is to preserve visual records for future generations, ensuring that important moments of history are not lost. They are also very valuable sources of information for historians, educators, students and researches as they provide visual evidence and allow access to materials that can be used to study and learn about specific moments in history.

Journalism and Media/ legal:

News organizations and media outlets frequently use and rely on photo archives to access images for news stories, documentaries, and other media productions. by using archival images, it allows the person viewing/ consuming the media to add some visual context to news events ect. Furthermore, photos are often used as evidence in legal cases, insurance claims, and property documentation. photo archives can be crucial in verifying the accuracy and authenticity of visual evidence.

How are archives a repository of knowledge?

Archives serve as repositories of knowledge by preserving and organizing historical records, documents, and materials. Archives protect valuable information from deterioration and loss due to ageing or erosion/ environmental factors. ensuring that knowledge is available for future generations. By having archives it provides a structured and organised system to find and access information.

Jersey archive

The Société Jersiaise was founded in January 1873 by a small number of prominent Islanders who were interested in the study of the history, the language and the antiquities of Jersey.  Membership grew quickly and the aims of the new society soon widened to include the publication of historical documents, the founding of a Museum, and the study of the Island’s natural history.  Their first Bulletin Annuel was issued in 1875 and continues to be the main record of our activities. However, In 1992 the Photographic Archive (SJPA) was established to implement appropriate collections management policies for the photographic collections held by the Société Jersiaise Library. From its foundation, the Société actively encouraged the use of photography in achieving its aims, resulting in the natural accrual of photographic materials. In 1927 Emile F. Guiton was appointed to manage the Library’s first cabinet for housing photographic records. The collection acted as both a repository of research resources relating to Jersey, and as a record of the work carried out by the Société’s Sections and Departments. Today the SJPA is responsible for over 140,000 records and is Jersey’s primary repository for photographic materials; as described in the shared collections management policy between Jersey Heritage and the Société Jersiaise, which came into effect in 2019. 

What i found was interesting about the Jersey Archive was how it is looked after by people from the jersey community, and how, many people donate artefacts for them to be preserved in the correct conditions which further allows it to be enjoyed by more people. Another thing that i thought was really interesting was, if Jersey societie was not created many of these images would have been lost and we would not know as much history about the Island we live on.

Ernest Badoux

Born in France, 1828, Ernest Badoux moved to Jersey in 1869 where he made his living as a portraitist, and took pictures of affluent islanders’ houses. Baudoux’s work was of the highest quality, and many of the surviving images are in superb collection. The portraits, most of which have names inscribed on the backs (although often only surnames, so that it is difficult to link pictures to particular families) are supreme examples of the Victorian art of photographic portraiture. They convey the fashions of the time, both in clothing and hairstyles. Usually the subjects wore their best clothes for the portrait sessions. For the ladies in the 1870s and 80s, this meant long black dresses. The fashion for white dresses, which would be almost universally worn in public later on, did not emerge until much closer to the end of the century. It was also common for children, and sometimes adults, to be photographed wearing fancy dress. Sailor suits were particulaly popular for boys. If the subjects of the images appear rather dour this is easily explained. They would have to hold their pose for a lengthy period, which is why they can often be seen posing with their arms folded and supported on the back of a chair, or a firm cushion. Staring blankly at the camera for the required time was relatively easily accomplished, whereas holding a smile was impossible.

In conclusion, archives are evidence of knowledge, which ensures that the past is not forgotten and that information is accessible to current and future generations. They play a vital role in preserving, organizing, and providing access to a wide range of valuable knowledge sources. These collections may be physical, digital, or a combination of both, and they serve as important repositories of information and knowledge.

History

The Société Jersiaise was founded in January 1873 by a small number of prominent Islanders who were interested in the study of the history, the language and the antiquities of Jersey.  Membership grew quickly and the aims of the new society soon widened to include the publication of historical documents, the founding of a Museum, and the study of the Island’s natural history.  Our first Bulletin Annuel was issued in 1875 and continues to be the main record of our activities.

In 1893 Société Jersiaise moved to 9 peir road, which is a large early nineteenth century merchants house. The Museum and photo archives are looked after by Jersey Heritage and they continually add to their collection every year. The archives are also built up through gifts and bequests which has ensured its preservation of many important items with relevance to Jersey including; books, manuscripts and maps, photographs, prints and paintings, archaeological finds and historical items.

Expertly curated, No Place Like Home features the work of local and internationally acclaimed artists and invites Islanders to consider their ‘home’ on a personal, national, global and even cosmic scale.

The exhibition features 23 gallery based artworks and three external installation pieces, all of which explore ‘home’ from different perspectives, including considerations around Jersey’s housing crisis and international perspectives on the health of our planet. Whilst we live in a time when this can be a complex and serious subject, the pieces on display are often playful and interactive and invite the viewer to reflect on their own interpretation and experience.

The globe

Appearing deceptively simple, the ten-metre globe is crafted from fabric adorned with high-resolution imagery sourced from NASA. Its internal lighting system adds an ethereal quality to the installation. However, beneath the surface of the water, it conceals a substantial eight tons of mooring gear, endowing it with the ability to withstand winds of up to 40mph.

Acrylic on salvaged demolition concrete 2020.

Since 2018, Hills’ work has been focused on the Aylesbury estate in south east London investigating how community identity is affected and reframed by the process of redevelopment and gentrification.

The Aylesbury Fragments are an extraordinary act of preservation, rendering scenes of her local architecture directly onto pieces of salvaged material from the Aylesbury Estate, which is being demolished as part of a regeneration program.

The Aylesbury Estate was designed by the architect Hans Peter Trenton, and was considered exemplary social housing designed to meet the needs of people who lived there. The building’s construction began in 1963 and housed approximately 10,000 people. It is now in the final phase of being demolished in order to make way for redevelopment and Hill has spent several years documenting this place as it disappears piece by piece, and at each stage of degradation; as tenants are moved out and those in desperate need are temporarily housed. The concrete is imbued with the contentious history of the site, what remains are fragments of peoples lives.