Why is a camera an extension of the eye?

Henri Cartier Bresson was one of the greatest street photographers of all time, viewing the camera as an extension of the eye, capturing things in the decisive moment. This approach connects humanity and is like as an extension of the eye, hunting for the perfect photo. He captures from various angles, which creates the perfect candid photo which doesn’t alter reality.

Bresson grew up in a wealthy part of France, so was introduced to the art at an early age. What initially caught his eye was paintings, which then inspired him to look at photography, as he found this was an extension of drawing and an extension of the eye.

He began to explore using a camera which he thought was a unique way of interacting with the world. Shortly after he became well know for using a specific type of camera called Leica 35 mm rangefinder camera, that was fitted with a normal 50m lens or occasionally a wide angle lens for capturing landscapes, often fitting black tape around the cameras which would make it less conspicuous. Using black and white film and sharp lenses, he was able to capture events un noticed.

Bresson composted his photos in the view finder, rather than using a darkroom, which was used to develop photos controlling the light carefully, stopping the pictures from becoming over exposed in this process. This was the reason he used a 35mm film, which didn’t make specific adjustments to the photo, instead giving spontaneity to the image emphasising the decisive moment in the image.

Bresson specifically used a Leica 35 mm rangefinder camera which was smaller and quieter, allowing him to subtly capture the decisive moment which allowed him to use a quick and unobtrusive style of shooting. This important style allowed him have a quick and effective way of capturing the decisive moment, without being too obvious.

When shooting his photos, he captured people as they were relying on his eye to capture the perfect moment, while staying virtually unseen and in the background enabling him to capture the right candid photo . This became effective, as shooting from the background using a smaller lensed camera meant he was unnoticeable.

What is the physical pleasure in making photographs?

Capturing the perfect composition of the decisive moment was very important. Henri Cartier Bresson viewed his work as a ‘sensual pleasure’ to see shapes and geometry, as these elements were arranged along with human subjects. When taking his photos, he looked for specific details other than the subject in the perfect moment, such as lines, triangles, squares, shadows, curves and shapes.

Bresson stood by the rule of “Get it right in camera!” meaning he never cropped his photos, as he preferred to actually get close enough and at the perfect angle when shooting his photos.

How can photography be liken to hunting?

Bresson described his style of photo shooting as ‘hunting’. This meant that he carefully and precisely looked for the right moment to take his photos.

I like this image as the whole lower section is waste, with an ironic text on the vehicles container saying ‘waste disposal’. This is further amplified by the only colour in the image being this text. However, some parts of the photo is lacking like how most of the image is in a mid grey tone, especially the sky, giving this image a blander look. This photo had some similarities to Edward Burtynsky photos with the presentation of large waste areas.

This image is good in the use of motion blur as it draws the eyes to the main focus point of the image (the large industrial pipes), making it seem more important and more destructive to the natural environment around it. the organic background paired with the subject creates a contrast between the pipes and the landscape. I think the editing could be improved on as the edges from the foreground to the background looks odd.

I think this image is a good representation photos from the likes of Edward Burtynsky. This is because the image is packed with detail and is very vibrant. The image does lack in some ways as the subject (the bus) doesn’t stand out as much from all the details elsewhere in the image.

Virtual galary:

Naomi White is an feminist, artist, and educator and focuses on creating a message and addresses issues about political, gender and environmental matters. This photography component of her work explores the way plastic responds to touch. In extension to this, Nicki explored it weight, its surface and how every bag reacts and contracts differently.

I would like to replicate some of these images in the studio for an Anthropocene and Naomi White inspired photoshoot, I think these photos are very moving and display how plastics float in the sea, I also really like the blank background and how it contrasts and brings out the bright colours of the plastic bags. I think these photos may also be misconceived, this is because the object looks similar to a flower or something of beauty, whereas in real life the object is pollutive, dangerous and a killer. This factor gives these photos an edge and explores the beauty in something negative.

I think these photos are similar to photos of singular flowers such as roses, which also symbolize beauty. I find this particularly interesting because Naomi White is taking something basic and insignificant, and turning it into something beautiful.

I hope to replicate this photography style in the photography studio soon. For this I will need:

• Multiple plastic bags of different colours, weights and densities.
• A white background
• Blue tack or something sticky
• A camera

Plastic Bag Photoshoot.

To take these photos, I first set up a black piece of card, a black background and had a flash- head facing a stand, where I attached my plastic bags and then photographed it using a canon camera.

My Camera Settings.

This is my contact sheet of all the photos I have taken.

This is my favourite image I took as I think it looks very high quality image and I like the blue colour against the black background. I also removed all dust particles and small objects from the background which makes it looks like the bag is floating in the air which Is the idea is was aiming for.

For this photoshoot, I went into the studio and photographed various plastic bags that I found on the beach. These bags ranged from large, to small and old, to new. They also came in a range of colours. I used a camera, a light, and a stand to hold up my bags and photograph them with a black background to have solo shots of each one individually. I think this photoshoot went well, however to improve I would like to have a white background to match my photographer inspiration ‘Naomi White‘.

Comparisons:

I have created a virtual gallery edit on Photoshop of my Anthropocene photoshoot in the lighting studio. I chose these 3 images as they all have a black background and have 3 different colours of green, white and blue which shows the variety of plastics that can be found on Jersey’s beaches.

I edited these photos and chose this specific empty gallery image so that two of the photos are facing in and the main, larger images to be facing forwards so that It is the first main picture the eyes will look at.

I also created a virtual gallery on Photoshop of my AI adapted images on Photoshop. I wanted the two similar images to be the main focal point as it is the same image adapted in different ways to show two different perspectives and possibilities. I also included a direct comparison of a a waste filled beach which is a negative view of humans effects of the planet. This image then faces an image that is a green, improved road which is a positive view of humans effects on the planet.

I then have made another virtual gallery of three similar images from a photoshoot. These photos all incorporate bright colours so I decided to arrange them into 3 separate images in a line with the two single objects with a black background on the left and right, I then have put the colourful one filled with objects into the middle of the two.

I then have arranged my photos into an arrangement of all 3 in a row at different heights. This is due to the fact they are all slightly different sizes and will not fit in a uniform row on the gallery wall. I think these photos compliment each other very well as they are all slightly different but still very similar, this creates an interesting effect and looks strong.

My final virtual gallery captures two images I have already displayed in a virtual gallery but in a different arrangement and a different photo. I think this gallery as not as strong as the previous as the colourful photo on the left is not in the middle to balance out the picture. However, I wanted to experiment with different galleries for these particular images.

These images are the photos I have decided to put into the print folder and will mount onto black or white board for display.

A3 IMAGES.

I chose this image from my studio photoshoot of plastic bags I had collected from the beach. I think this image was my strongest photograph because the effect of the bag floating with no background apart from a plain black background creates a very vivid effect of how the bag would look floating in the sea. I also like how clear the image is and you can see the detail of the bag.

This photo was taken from my romanticism and the sublime section of this landscape project. I particularly think this image this into the sublime as the two people sat on the rock, from a high angle look very insignificant compared to the vast beautiful landscape behind them. I like the bright colours and think it would suit a white background to help bring out the colour even more.

A4 IMAGES.

These two image are some of the AI edits I made on Photoshop, this displays the possible effects of urbanisation, overpopulation and Anthropocene in Jersey and how it could affect the planet. I chose these two as they are some of the more realistic looking and stronger images I edited. I like these photos as I think they are effective in conveying the idea of human takeover becoming extremely transformative and dangerous for the earth.

This photo was from my Storm Ciaran photoshoot where I capture a fallen tree due to the storm. I really like the bright background and how the blues and yellows, and whites contrast with the dark browns and blacks of the tree, the roots are also an interesting component as it shows the age and time the tree was there for before being destroyed.

These three images are also part of the AI edits I have done on Photoshop. These photos will be arranged in the triptych order of ‘in a row’ in the order above and display Jersey in a more positive way.

1- Currently

2- Without cars and machinery

3- The road is replaced with a field and greenery

A5 IMAGES.

These photos I took on my Harve Des Pas photoshoot, where I captured images of the machinery in the relation to urbanised locations and new topographic. These photos I think would look strong in a triptych arrangement as they all tie in with a blue cloudy sky, grey machinery and a landscape camera shot.

Ruscha’s work:

My work:

Ruscha’s work in photography includes a large photoshoot of old petrol stations, with lots of empty space surrounding it. This is due to him mainly photographing Los Angeles and Oklahoma City. My photographs contrast to this because many of the petrol stations in Jersey are significantly smaller than ones in America, leaving less empty space surrounding them. A similarity between mine and Ruscha’s outcomes is the angle in which the image is taken. Both of us take our photos from a deadpan angle, which allows the whole setting to be shown in the image, I also like this angle because gives the image an overall sense of simplicity, without over complicating which elements to include in the shot. It seems as though Ruscha takes his photographs on a main road to get everything in the shot, I also tried this approach because I wanted to be able to do the same.

Experimenting with AI

Abandoned Buildings

I used AI in photoshop to edit images of the abandoned hotel at Bouley Bay, so that I could give it a more rustic look, so that it looks much older and more destroyed. I did this by selecting the image I wanted to use and dragging it to photoshop. The image I used was;

I used this photo, because it captured both the abandoned building, as well as the natural environment surrounding it. It also captured the graffiti, which is often left on abandoned buildings.

Next, I went to filter and selected neutral filters. Then, I downloaded the landscape tab and selected a colour theme that would be suitable. Lastly, I adjusted the strength and saved the image.

Then, I experimented with some different colour themes.

Greenhouses

I used AI to experiment with my greenhouse images, because I wanted to display how greenhouses should be used, and how they used to be used very often. I did this by using AI to add more greenery, bushes, flowers etc. to my greenhouse. The prompts I have used are below.

The original picture is a sad greenhouse, which has nearly no green in it, because it was rarely used. It also has quite a few dead plants.

The image with AI shows how greenhouses used to look and how they should look today.

I used AI to go into the past here, by adding more greenery, more alive plants and bushes.

Industrialisation

For Industrialisation, I decided to go into the future, to see what our town would look like in a few years. I used AI in the same way to do this, by adding different prompts:

These are examples of the prompts I have used to edit this image.

This is the original image of a popular recognisable place in St Helier.

I wanted to edit the picture to show what this place will look like eventually, if things do not change and people continue to damage the earth.

There are many more buildings, because of industrialisation, as well as over population, which is also why there is more cars. There is smoke to represent air pollution, as well as the water in the bottom left harbour to represent rising tides and how much they will rise due to global warming and ice bergs melting. The changes are very subtle, but they present of huge message.

Cropping

Cropping images can be important for many different reasons. You may want to crop something or someone out of an image, or you may want to zoom in closer on the main view point of the image. Cropping also allows us to explore the negative space in an image, by cropping it out.

There are also many different ways you can crop images;

• Portrait Format
• Landscape Format
• panoramic crop (vertical or horizontal)
• square crop
• circle crop
• polygon crop
• etc

Portrait Format

Firstly, I am going to experiment with portrait format. I am going to be using Lightroom to crop these images.

This is the image I have decided to crop, so that I can crop out the negative space around the greenhouse, so that I zoom in on the greenhouse more, which is my main viewpoint.

This is how my final image came out after that first crop.

Next, I decided to crop out the negative space at the grass a bit more, so that I could zoom in on the greenhouse even more so.

I also experimented using a portrait format for a few other images.

This is the next image I used.

I used the cropping tool on Lightroom to do this.

I wanted to crop the image in this way, so that I could really zoom in on the abandoned building, so all the damage was more visible.

I cropped the negative space on the left out of this image, so that I could zoom in on the damaged section of the green house more, as that is my main viewpoint for this topic.

Next, I wanted to try and experiment with a person in one of my images.

I cropped out the negative space either side of the main viewpoint and also a little bit of negative space below the viewpoint, so that is was more in balance with the negative space above the viewpoint.

Final Portrait Format Images

Analysis

I think portrait format images work best for when you want to remove negative space from either the right or the left of the main viewpoint, as it allows the image to zoom in more on the main view point. I think the portrait format worked well on my images, but I do think it worked best on the image with a person, so I do think it could be better used for people.

Landscape Format

Landscape cropping will be useful for cropping out negative space that is either above or below the main focus of the image. I also think landscape format cropping will work better for my images as they are landscape images.

This is the image I have chosen to crop in Lightroom in landscape format, because it is a beautiful landscape shot and I think this format would work best for it.

I wanted to zoom in on the tower more, as that is the main viewpoint and the main part of my topic. I also wanted to crop out some of the negative space below and around the tower, so that there was less distractions.

Next, I experimented with other images.

Next, I experimented with a more busy landscape image.

I wanted to zoom in on the 5 building in a line, as they were the main view point of the image.

Next, I wanted to experiment with complimentary colours, while cropping.

These green and red colours compliment each other, as they are opposite sides of the colour wheel, I wanted to zoom in on the colours so I could get a closer up.

Final Landscape Format Images

Analysis

I think the landscape format images worked well for my landscape images as it allowed me to crop out the negative space and zoom in on my main view point. Using complimentary colours ad cropping to zoom in on them worked very well, as they complimented each other and created some harmony in the image.

Square Crop

I think square cropping will be useful to crop out all the negative space in an image, so it is only the main viewpoint that is in the image. It will also be useful to create an equal amount of negative space all around the main view point, so that it is centre.

I used this same Image for my square crop, because I wanted to zoom in on the greenhouse even more, and present how one image can look entirely different, just by the way it is being cropped.

I used the cropping tool on Lightroom to do this.

I used the square cropping tool to zoom in on my main view point.

Final Square Crop Images

Analysis

The square cropping worked well for removing all negative space from my images, so I could create close up images.

Panoramic crop

I cut the jagged edges off this image previously and now I have cropped out the negative space, so I can zoom in on the tower.

I cropped off the jagged edges to this previously and now I have decided to really zoom in on the busiest section on this panorama.

Analysis

These cropping work well, but I do not see the full point of them after making a panorama from a series of images, which will look like the ones I am cropping.

Black and White Images

I edited these images:

I did this by creating virtual copies of each image and making them black and white in Lightroom. Then, I experimented with contrast, whites, blacks, highlights etc. until I was happy with the images.

Analysis

I think making these images black and white worked very well, especially with the abandoned building images, because it gave it almost an eerie vibe. I also prefer black and white images to ones with colour, so I prefer these images.

Virtual Gallery

Industrialisation

I used ArtSteps to create my virtual gallery. I first chose the gallery I wanted and then imported all the images I wanted to use into the gallery. Then, I positioned them where I wanted the images and then finally added the dark brown frames to them.

Abandoned Buildings

I used ArtSteps to create this virtual gallery and added black frames, because I thought they went with the images the best.

Greenhouses

I used ArtSteps to create this virtual Gallery and added a dark brown colour, similar to a tree trunk, because I thought it fit with the theme well.

Discarded Plastics

I used ArtSteps to make this virtual gallery and I added black frames, because I thought they looked best with the black background.

Fly Tipping

I used ArtSteps to create my virtual gallery and I added dark brown frames to each image, because I thought it was the most aesthetically pleasing.

Litter

I used ArtSteps to create this virtual gallery and I used white frames, because I thought it looked better with the sand colour and made the colour of the litter pop more against it, as it didn’t take any attention way from the litter.

Minimalistic Approach

I used ArtSteps to create this virtual gallery. I added black frames to the darker images and white frames to the sand images, because they blended in more and looked better. They also didn’t take the focus off the image, even though the items in the images were smaller and less noticeable.

Tourism has a huge affect on the environment and planet. Components consist of:

• Air Emissions
• Noise
• Solid waste and littering
• Releases of sewage, oil and chemicals,
• Architectural/visual pollution
• Heating
• Car use

According to sustainabletravel.org tourism is responsible for around 8% of the world’s carbon emissions. transportation is tourism’s main source of greenhouse gas emissions. Planes and cars generate the most CO2 per passenger mile, with tour buses, ferries, and trains following, this means that every individual that ravels, is contributing to Anthropocene around the world.

45 arrivals every second

There are over 1.4 billion tourists arriving at their destination every year. That’s 45 arrivals every single second.

Having people visiting a different place in the world, causes the depletion of local natural resources, pollution and waste problems. Tourism also adds on huge stress onto local land use, this can lead to the erosion of soil and therefore increase pollution. There are also habitats lost and the likelihood of poaching increased, which affects non endangered and endangered species.

Spanish Mass Tourism.

Mass tourism to the Spanish costa’s has been occurring for a long time. Millions of tourists have been coming to Spain every year since the 1960s. Due to the constant restoration, construction and replenishment of new hotels and resorts, many destinations along the Spanish coast are beginning to be affected by horizon pollution. Due to the fact, there are rows and rows of apartments resorts and hotels that are packed on these coastlines, front accommodations have a sea view. However, the outdated apartments and hotels tent to attract young tourists that want an affordable place to stay, this does not positively impact the environment due to the large and high scale amount of young travellers.

Impacts.

Throughout Mallorca, there is a higher amount of water that is extracted from underground to provide for tourism, than there is generated by rainfall. Also, due to the proximity of the ocean there is a large amount of salt water that makes its way into the soil ad therefore ends up in this groundwater. There is also a substantial amount of plastic being produced in these areas, due to suitable drinking water for tourists being constantly produced. There is also a huge scale of disposable and one time use plastics, constantly being imported from other countries in order to cater for tourist needs, which affects the environment by not recycling these products, and the transport it takes to arrive to their destination. A tourist produces 50% more waste than a local resident. According to the internet a Spanish citizen uses around 250 litres of water per day, however, tourists use an average of 900 litres of water per day due to activities such as swimming, drinking water and hygiene reasons. This is a substantial difference as these areas are already suffering from the scarcity of water. The waste water from hotels and other tourist facilities is also not handled well: this is dumped into the sea a few kilometres from the coast.

To prevent this, businesses and companies must focus on building their accommodations along clear environmental lines, water purification, prioritizing positive waste disposal, environmentally friendly public transport.

In a coastal town in Mallorca, named Calviá their is around 11 million overnight stays per year. This huge tourism rate deems them a mass scale tourism hotspot. Due to this huge populatiry, Calviá must stay attractive and interesting to tourists, the government must take extra measures and care to ensure of this. For example as Calviá is so highly attended, the government have ensured there are 5 different water treatment plans so that their seawater stays as clean as possible. There is also blue flags along beaches which represents that it is environmentally friendly. Older, traditional and less popular hotels are no longer being demolished to be replaced by expensive and luxurious resorts, only to attract more tourists. This means that an effort is being made to restore nature and the Balearic Islands are striving for a more environmentally friendly approach to tourism to prevent Anthropocene.

Photoshoot Mood board.

This mood board represents what I would like to display in my photoshoot. Whilst visiting Spain I intend to do 1 or 2 photoshoots, on tourism in the country and how it affects the wellbeing of people and the planet. I hope to visit locations such as streets, beaches, hotels, shopping areas and other densely populated areas in order to capture a raw, authentic visual representation of what goes on throughout the year and the waste, overcrowding and increasing carbon footprints that take place. These photos will display both people and landscapes on how they have been altered from human activity and tourists. I hope these will create an effect on how large of a difference is made from ‘seemingly meaningless’ everyday habits such as throwing litter on the floor, wasting water and travelling in a convenient but not helpful way.

Underwater Photos.

I also hope to get some underwater photos using a waterproof case in order to capture the overpopulation, decrease in coral reefs, rising sea levels and floating waste in the ocean.