Ideas

Living in Jersey makes it quite difficult to photograph the impacts on the environment from humans as it’s not as obvious as other places in the world due to the island being less developed and big on agriculture, however, here are some of my ideas:

Idea 1

My first idea is to photograph areas in Jersey which experience traffic and over-population, specifically St Helier. My plan is to go into town around rush hour and take photos of the traffic in various places, preferably from above. Some places I could do this are along the Waterfront near La Frigate and from above the tunnel. I am also planning on taking images of full car parks and places which are clearly over-populated.

Idea 2

My second idea is to create an altered landscape image (or two) which consists of the various industrial areas and areas which have been hugely impacted by humans around the island. This will be inspired by Emily Allchurch, an artist who hosted a talk at Jersey Library last year which I attended with my Dad. I was really inspired by her work, therefore I have decided that it is something I would like to do for this project as I think it would be an effective way of displaying our Island’s impacts on the environment. Some locations which I am planning on photographing include La Collette, Bellozanne, German Bunkers, Le Marais Flats, Quarries and Dams. I will then create my final image by using photoshop.

Another photographer who has similar work to Emily Allchurch that I am greatly inspired by for this idea is Tanja Deman. (Link to my blog post about Tanja Deman)

Idea 3

My third idea is to take images of potholes as there are many in Jersey and they are caused mainly by traffic and not being able to support the weight of vehicles, therefore, they are caused by human activity and sometimes you could say overpopulation, corresponding to themes of Anthropocene. I am planning on editing these images to look like moon craters by making them appear as similar colours to the moon. This idea hasn’t been inspired by any photographers as it is just a thought I had, therefore, I may not go ahead with this idea as the outcomes may not align with my vision.

Idea 4

My fourth idea is to photograph agricultural land in Jersey as, although agriculture is great for the Island’s ecomony, it can also have harmful impacts on the environment such as polluting water and soil and releasing CO2 into the atmosphere. Moreover, around 50% of the Island’s area consists on agricultural land and it is also one of the factors which promotes a great problem on the island – sea lettuce. The Island has had numerous problems with sea lettuce, which is often caused by streams running onto the beach containing fertiliser. For this photoshoot, I am planning on photographing fields from above, most likely in Grouville and St Ouen, inspired by Edward Burtynsky’s photograph of plastic-covered fields. In addition, I will also photograph old glass houses around the Island.

Idea 5

My final idea is to photograph rubbish which I find on the beach and on the streets in its place but also collect it to photograph it again together and create an abstract image. This may, however, be quite difficult as it’s not easy to find rubbish on the beach at this time of year compared to summer. My inspiration for this is Many Barker’s: Our Plastic Ocean.

The Ideas I have gone for

For my photoshoots, I have decided that I am going to create an altered landscape, inspired by Emily Allchurch and Tanja Deman, of the industrial areas around the island. The areas featured within this landscape will be similar to what can be seen in both Edward Burtynsky and George Marazakis’ photographs. The locations which I will be taking these photos include Bellozanne, La Collette, Sorel and St Peters Quarries, Val de la Mare Dam and various fields round the island. This is a rough sketch of my vision:

I am going to present the images I take both on their own, similar to Edward Burtynsky and George Marazakis, and as an altered landscape.