Contact Sheet and Image Selection

These images are inspired by the works of George Marazakis and Edward Burtynsky and they display the industrial areas of Jersey and places where the landscape has been highly affected by man. I am going to make my images B&W because I think that it will have more of an industrial effect and less natural due to the lack of greenery.

Contact Sheet

Image Selection

Edits

Edit 1

This is my base image for my first altered landscape:

I continued to edit this image by making it B&W and adjusting the following:

This is my final result:

Edit 2

Edit 3

Edit 4

Edit 5

Edit 6

Edit 7

Edit 8

Edit 9

Edit 10

Edit 11

Edit 12

Virtual Gallery

Virtual gallery

For my final Images I wanted at least one image from each section. I decided on one Anthropocene, 4 industrial and 5 natural landscapes. I experimented with a virtual gallery on arrangements and sizes etc. I was going to create one triptych in A5, one diptych in A4 and 5 single images presented in both A4 and A3. I didn’t like all the industrial ones together and the Anthropocene image I pictured in A3 however there was too much plain black so I decided to try and fit it in a circular shape instead. I like the idea however I should have created it with the shape in mind initially so the ring would fit the frame better. I ended up printing it as a square since I didn’t arrange it properly to fit in a ting.

After deciding on the sizes of each Image the arrangement was much easier. Aside from the triptych and diptych on the left wall all the others are going to be framed on their own.

Final Images

I arranged my final images into groups:

1- New Topographics

2 – Landscapes

3 – Anthropocene

Evaluation

I think that I understood new Topographics the best and created images based on my interpretation of these ideas. This was the most successful outcome in my opinion as each final outcome showed a different aspect of new Topographics such as deadpan, industrial structures and the changing urban landscape. I think that while I explored some ideas I could have created more inspired or creative outcomes.

For Anthropocene I think that the stationary donut turned out better than I thought. Looking back I wish I created it in a circle frame or used some additional pieces. Stationary is a wasteful industry from the large packaging to the harmful plastics used in disposable items which I believe has the same themes as Mandy Barkers photographs without going out and finding these items washed up on the beach which is originally why the images are supposed to appear like underwater currents however I instead just used waste before it was thrown away. Each piece of stationary I photographed was single use and would have ended in some sort of waste outlet regardless.

As a response to romanticism I wanted to photograph the damage caused by storm Kieran. I focused on fallen trees as they have heavily impacted the landscape but didn’t take photographs of the new bare landscapes. I don’t think these photographs turned out very well as I didn’t have much direction when going out to take the photographs. This came across clearly in the final outcomes. I also photographed some landscapes without the theme of the storm and I think these turned out better since I wasn’t focusing on a specific theme. I used these photographs mostly when experimenting with AI because the large spaces allowed for generative fill and remove also. Although I didn’t originally have much direction and was simple practicing the tools, these also turned out better then the storm. I chose not to print these ones out as final images because they weren’t saying enough to be framed and presented.

Edward Burtynsky

I used Edward Burtynsky’s photos of Industrialisation and litter for inspiration when I was doing my photoshoot. He used a birds eye view mainly especially when taking images of industrialisation, so I also experimented with birds eye images.

Litter Images

In this image Burtynsky took an image from birds eye view of lots of litter. I tried to recreate this image, but in a different way, because I did not have access to a big dump site like this, so I used the seaweed to give off the same feel, as they had the same brown colours. However, I only took a photo of one piece of litter, rather than a large amount, that I had found on the beach from a birds eye angle, just like he did. As I didn’t have the resources to take a photo of large amounts of litter, I searched the beach for litter and took individual photos of litter from a birds eye angle, like Burtynsky used.

Industrialisation Images

Edward Burtynsky took images of all different industrialisation sites. In my inspiration image I thought that this industrialisation looked like it has been there a while and was quite old, so I explored some of the older industrialisation sites at La Hougbie.

He also had people in my inspiration shot, so I had Katie stand in front of one of the older industrialisation sites, so that I could also capture a person in my image.

He also took images of newer industrialisation sites, so I did that too, as I wanted a range of images for my contact sheet and was interested in the differences between the newer and older industrialisation sites.

Birds eye view experiments

Edward Burtynsky usually uses a birds eye view for most of his industrialisation images, so I experimented with getting higher up views for my images. Burtynsky often used helicopters, so he could achieve his birds eye view shots, but I obviously didn’t have access to this, so I attempted to to get to higher up places so I could take shots from as high as possible. First, I visited Fort Regent as seen above. I took images of town down below from the top of Fort Regent Hill to achieve these images.

Next, I visited La Hougbie.

I stood on top of the hill where the church is at La Hougbie and I shot my images of the café and cars below to achieve a higher up, almost birds eye view angle.

Analysis

For my industrial images, I like that I have taken the time to explore both new and old industrialisation, so that now my images can present different stories, just like Edward Burtynsky’s. I also found it quite interesting.

I also like how I experimented with getting higher up angles like Burtynsky does, because I think that produced some of my better images.

For my litter photoshoot, I would like to next time try and not capture the shadow of my phone or camera, when taking the photos, but also experimented with taking images of a few pieces of rubbish, instead of just singular shots.

John Divola

John Divola took images of abandoned buildings, especially abandoned buildings on beaches.

As I was exploring Bouley bay’s abandoned hotel and taking images, I wanted to make sure I got a shot of the beach and the building, so my work would be similar to John Divola’s, as he took many picture of abandoned buildings near beaches.

I also wanted to capture the damage of the building and all the rubble, just like John Divola captures in his images, because I really wanted to highlight the impact that it has on the earth.

I also took images of abandoned buildings, which were not near a beach, such as St Saviours Hospital, because there are not many abandoned buildings to choose from in Jersey and because I thought this building would photograph well.

This image of Divola’s above really highlights how damaged these buildings are, so I made sure to capture all the different types of damage I foundl.

Analysis

I am pleased with this photoshoot, as I think I was able to capture just what John Divola captures. I was able to capture the scale of these abandoned buildings, as well as there whereabouts and the damage that they have. I think my images relate to John Divola very well, as they both show the impact that these abandoned building are having.

I really like the pictures of the abandoned hotel next to the beach, because it really helps to present the impact that these buildings will be having on the wild life near by.

Barry Rosenthal

Barry Rosenthal collected litter off the beach and turned it into a piece of art work. I was inspired massively by this, because she was able to make something ugly and bad for the earth look very beautiful.

Rosenthal often colour coordinated her litter for each of her images as well, so I decided to experiment with colour coordinating mine.

Barry Rosenthal also collected all this discarded litter herself, so I also wanted to do this. Katie and I went walking along the beach with a bag and collected all the litter we could find.

We put all our rubbish in a co op for life bag and brought it to the studio, so that we could use a black background and an above shot angle, just like how Rosenthal does.

As you can see here, I used the same sort of angle and the same black background as Barry Rosenthal.

Analysis

I think this photoshoot went well, and that I took inspiration from my artist very well. I am pleased I got the experiment in the studio with this and create something beautiful out of rubbish.

I think my images came out well, as they had good lighting and a good black background from the studio. I also like the images, which I have colour coordinated, like Barry Rosenthal does, because I feel like it creates a harmony in the image.

Dafna Talmor

Dafna Talmor is a London-based photographer known for her abstract and conceptual landscape photography. Originally from Jerusalem, Israel, Talmor frequently explores themes of place, memory, and perception in her work.

Talmor often creates her images through a process of layering and blending multiple photographs together, creating dream-like landscapes that challenge the viewer’s perception of reality. Her work blurs the line between photography and painting, resulting in visually striking and thought-provoking compositions.

Talmor’s photographs have been exhibited in galleries and museums around the world, including the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Aperture Foundation in New York, and the Tel Aviv Museum of Art in Israel. She has also received numerous awards and accolades for her work, solidifying her reputation as a talented and innovative photographer in the contemporary art world.

Michael Marten

Michael Marten is a British photographer known for his captivating and thought-provoking series “Sea Change,” which documents the dramatic transformations of coastal landscapes caused by the ebb and flow of tides.

Marten’s unique approach involves setting up his camera at the same location at low tide and high tide, capturing two separate images of the same scene. When the images are juxtaposed, they reveal the stark contrast between the two tidal states, showcasing the dynamic and ever-changing nature of the coastlines.

Through his work, Marten explores themes of time, impermanence, and the impact of human activity on the natural environment. His photographs not only highlight the beauty and fragility of coastal ecosystems but also serve as a powerful reminder of the ongoing effects of climate change and rising sea levels.

Marten’s “Sea Change” series has been exhibited internationally and has garnered critical acclaim for its innovative and visually stunning depiction of the coastal landscape. His work has been featured in prestigious publications such as National Geographic, The Guardian, and The New York Times. Marten continues to create impactful and thought-provoking photographic projects that resonate with viewers around the world.

Chris Jordan

Chris Jordan is an American photographer and environmental artist known for his powerful and thought-provoking work that addresses issues of consumerism, waste, and environmental degradation.

Jordan’s most famous series, “Running the Numbers,” uses large-scale photographic images to visually represent staggering statistics related to consumption and waste in modern society. Through his intricate and detailed compositions, Jordan aims to raise awareness about the impact of human behavior on the planet and the consequences of unchecked consumerism.

In addition to “Running the Numbers,” Jordan has created other notable projects such as “Midway: Message from the Gyre,” which documents the devastating effects of plastic pollution on the albatross population of Midway Atoll. This series of photographs and films serves as a poignant reminder of the interconnectedness of environmental issues and the need for collective action to address them.

Jordan’s work has been exhibited in galleries and museums around the world and has been featured in numerous publications and documentaries. He is a passionate advocate for environmental conservation and is actively involved in using his art to inspire positive change and promote sustainable practices. Jordan’s captivating and impactful images continue to spark important conversations about the state of our planet and the urgent need for environmental stewardship.

Keith Arnette

Keith Arnatt (1930-2008) was a British conceptual artist and photographer known for his innovative approach to photography and his exploration of everyday objects and concepts.

Arnatt initially studied painting but later transitioned to photography in the 1960s, where he became known for his deadpan and analytic style. He gained recognition for his series “Portrait of the Artist as a Shadow of His Former Self” (1969-1970), in which he posed as a shadow against a wall, questioning the artistic identity and representation.

Throughout his career, Arnatt continued to challenge traditional notions of art and photography, often blurring the lines between reality and artifice. He was interested in mundane and overlooked subjects, finding beauty and significance in the everyday.

Some of his other notable works include “Notes from Jo” (1972), “Notes on Sculpture” (1969-72), and “Trouser-Word Piece” (1972), where he humorously and critically engaged with language, representation, and the art world itself.

Keith Arnatt’s work has been exhibited internationally and is held in prestigious collections, including the Tate Gallery in London. He played a significant role in the development of conceptual art and his impact can still be seen in contemporary art practices today. Keith Arnatt passed away in 2008, leaving behind a legacy of innovative and thought-provoking artwork.

These are mood boards of artists I have decided to study and am using as inspiration.

Dafna Talmor Inspiration Mood Board

Michael Marten Inspiration Mood Board

Chris Jordan Inspiration Mood Board

Keith Arnette Inspiration Mood Board

What is Anthropocene?

The Anthropocene is a proposed geological epoch that marks the period during which human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment. It is characterised by significant changes in the earths ecosystems and biodiversity. largely driven by human activities such as industrialisation. urbanization, and deforestation. The term ‘Anthropocene’ is derived from the Greek words ‘Anthropos’ meaning human, and ‘kainos’, meaning new, and is used to highlight the impact of human activities on the earths geological processes. The concept of Anthropocene has gained attention in recent years as scientists and scholars seek to understand and address the effects of human-induced climate change and environmental degradation.

How and why are photographers exploring this concept?

Photographers are exploring the concept of the Anthropocene through their work in various ways. They are using photography as a medium to document and visually communicate the impact of human activities on the environment. Here are some ways in which photographers are exploring the Anthropocene:

Documenting environmental degradation: Photographers are capturing images that show the degradation of the environment, such as deforestation, pollution, urbanization, and climate change. These images serve as powerful visual evidence of the impact of human activities on the planet.

Portraying the human-nature relationship: Photographers are also exploring the complex relationship between humans and nature in the Anthropocene. They are documenting how humans interact with and alter the natural landscape, as well as the consequences of these interactions.

Raising awareness and advocacy: Through their work, photographers are raising awareness about environmental issues and advocating for positive change. They use photography as a tool to engage viewers emotionally and intellectually, prompting them to reflect on their own role in the Anthropocene and to take action.

Showing the resilience of nature: Some photographers focus on showcasing the resilience of nature in the face of human-induced environmental challenges. They capture images of ecosystems and species that are able to adapt and survive despite the pressures of the Anthropocene.

Overall, photographers play a crucial role in documenting, exploring, and raising awareness about the concept of the Anthropocene through their powerful visual storytelling. Their images can inspire action, spark dialogue, and encourage a deeper understanding of our impact on the planet

Throughout the time I have spent learning and researching about Anthropocene, I feel like I have gained a good understanding on the topic and understand what the word means (human kinds impact on the Earths natural environment). For my Anthropocene project, I decided to focus on urbanisation, industrialisation, overpopulation, natural landscapes and artificial animal habitats. For urbanisation and overpopulation. I decided to take photographs of what I saw whilst in central London, to which I captured many buildings all clustered together and crowds of people everywhere. This highlighted to me how severely humankind have expanded and built on the earth; stripping it of its natural beauty. Additionally, for industrialisation, I went down to Havre Des Pas and carried on walking along the side of it until I reached La Collette. From here, I took photographs of the incinerator and waste disposal building. Next, for the natural landscape images, I visited various beaches/ cliffsides around Jersey and photographed the view. I decided to take these images as a way to spread hope for future generations and hopefully inspire people to help them realise that we can have this natural beauty and beautiful views if we stop harming the planet so much. Finally, I took photographs of different animals in their artificial habitats in the zoo. This idea was inspired by Zed Nelson who does something similar and I found it ironic how humans are stripping animals of their real, natural environments in order to put them in artificial ones, simply so we can be entertained.

Urbanisation and industrialisation

Overall, I like how these images came out as they are in focus and the majority have good lighting. The images with lots of buildings stacked on top of each other was inspired by Giacomo Costa. I felt this linked to the theme of Anthropocene as it is almost exaggerating further how overbuilt and crowded our planet is. However, this may not be an exaggeration but a reality for what our planet is going to look like in the future if we don’t stop building and expanding so much. I then decided to further experiment with this idea by adding a crack like shape into the centre of the image and then adding one of my natural landscape images behind it, creating a clear comparison between the two different types of landscapes. Finally, I wanted to further emphasise the difference between the two landscapes and so I decided to make the building layer black and white then the natural landscape layer coloured.

Artificial habitats

This photoshoot was inspired by Zed Nelson. In order to create these photographs, I went to different zoos in London and Jersey. I then focused on taking photographs of animals with unnatural backgrounds eg paintings of real landscapes or artificial lights. I tried to place my camera as close to the glass as possible in order to minimise any glare or reflections but this wasn’t always possible. However, I think having some of the images with visible glare/ reflection is successful in reminding the people who are looking at these images that these animals are stuck behind glass and in cages, restricting them from the real world. Therefore, by reminding people of the conditions these animals are in, it may lead to people wanting to help them and hopefully provoking positive changes. I think these images turned out well as the focus and detail is good and I think it successfully replicates the work of Zed Nelson and links to the theme of Anthropocene by highlighting how humans are destroying animals natural habitats just to recreate them in an artificial way.

Natural landscapes

For this photoshoot, I wanted to capture the natural beauty of the Earth. These images were taken in many different places like Norway, France and Jersey. I decided to take these more positive images as a way to bring hope to people who are looking at them. By highlighting the natural beauty our planet already has, it may hopefully cause a realisation for people that by building such vast amounts of buildings, we are hiding beautiful views. I also wanted to capture some manmade structures in some of my images to portray the idea that we can live simultaneously together and it doesn’t mean that humans should just demolish everything we’ve built but instead compromise and protect certain places from being built on and destroyed. Overall, I think this photoshoot came out well as I think I managed to successfully capture the beauty of the landscapes I was photographing. Some of my images were also inspired by Ansel Adams and romanticism as I turned the images black and white and manipulated the sky into making the clouds more prominent and powerful, creating a different kind of vibe to the image.

photoshoot 1 ( pollution ) –

For this photoshoot, I wanted to include portraiture as well as including the issues from my topics. I wanted the use of plastic bags and zip ties to not only show the excess of plastic and pollution in the world but also the restraint that it has on the human race and the advancement that could be, if it wasn’t as big of an issue. The zip ties were a perfect way of showing the world being ‘held back’ and restrained because of the grip that zip ties have, and the difficulty that comes with taking them off. The zip ties signify the lasso that plastic and pollution have around the world and the major worldwide issues that it causes.

For this first photograph, I wanted to give almost a lifeless and colourless tone to it to show a feeling of hopelessness and despair.

The use of intensifying the highlights and lowering the shadows, was to offer a feeling of almost being lost. This would hopefully show how lost we are at the thought of the state that our world is in and the damage that has been created. I wanted to enhance the vibrancy to almost give a hue of colour to the photo to show that there is hope for the world.

This photo has a similar feel to it and the idea of breaking away from the issues that we’ve caused in the natural world today. The use of cling film was to show the plastic almost being like a barrier that we need to get past before we are able to be ‘okay’, and a stable environment again.

For this photo in particular, I wanted to accentuate the texture to show the unfiltered model ( Lila ) to expand on the idea that this issue is not something to joke about and is in fact a real life problem that millions are facing. I still wanted to lower the shadows because of the idea that we are fearful and almost stuck with this problem till we do something about it.

I didn’t do many changes to this photo due to the photo itself being quite straightforward in showing the problems I’m talking about and trying to show.

I wanted to make this photo overall clearer and almost warmer. This is to show the global warming side of the issue. I lowered the shadows to show that these issues shouldn’t be hidden any longer and the fact that higher powered people in society are hiding the extremity of these problems are almost as damaging as the problems itself.

Photoshoot 2 ( over crowding ) –

For this photoshoot, I limited the amount of photos I took because I wanted it to be as natural as possible and almost not a staged photoshoot. I stemmed the design/layout idea back to the idea of including Topographics ( repeated photos, or similar photos ) I was looking into Andy Warhol and his designs of his paintings and collages, and I thought this would be a great way to show my ideas and also make them more prominent visually.

Photograph 1 –

Photograph 2 –

Photograph 3 –

Photograph 4 –

Photograph 5 –

Photograph 6 –

My idea for these photos is I am going to assort them into a collage of 6 photos, each model having three photos that match the expression of each other, on each photo.

I’ve placed a colour over each photograph and changed the saturation, vibrance, tint, exposure, some of the tones and temperature of each photo too, to give variety and almost show contrast in different ways.

I’m going to place all photos in a 2/6 grid with each expression opposite each other in almost a similar way to this photo :

Photoshoot 3 pollution –

I decided to include the idea of animals in my photoshoot because not only does pollution affect the human population and how we live, but it also affects the animal habitat and how animals live their lives and the struggles that they have to live with due to the poor decisions that we make as a race concerning the environment.

photograph 1 –

This photo symbolises the idea that people have the power for this problem to not affect animals and their habitats however we just decide not too.

All I wanted for this photo was to enhance the clarity to make the photo better overall and make it look a little more put together since the photo was difficult to get in the first place.

Photograph 2 –

Edits –

For this edit, I wanted to use an AI generator to help morph ideas together but for this edit in particular it didn’t work very well but I am going to make a few drafts.

With this edit I thought the idea of still having the human hand in the edit would be quite a good idea, because humans have full control over the issue at hand.

My final photo’s for overpopulation –

For my final photo, I wanted to include emotions into the photo to not only make it more eye-catching and almost more expressive. The issues that the photo portrays can cause a variety of emotions depending on the person and I though that including multiple expressions could help the viewer connect with the photo on not just a physical level, but an emotional level too.

Final photo’s for Pollution –

 “The legacy of exploration is not measured in material possessions but in the impact we leave on the world,”

Henri Cartier was a famous humanist photographer who was known for taking candid photographs. His type is photography is street photography and he has a theory known as ‘decisive moment’, when its the right time to take the photo. Henri liked to describe this as hunting without killing the thrill of waiting for the next person to walk by to capture into the photograph. Henri’s photography tends to link humanity together while other photographers tend to look for the horror in the world to capture. Its also described as an extension of the eye, Henri tends to look deeper into the photo and almost expresses a story in the photograph. He’s creating these images that create meaning without any words. another thing he added to his photography was the black and white effect as Henri believed that colour was a threat and was inferior and aesthetically limiting. This helped to add a dramatic effect to the photo. The decisive moment is meant of capture the true beauty of the moment, whole meaning of candid was to take a picture without posing, the opposite of a formal photograph where the person sits still and posses for their photo, the photo taken by Henri Cartier-Bresson were mainly picture of people walking by, these people had n idea that they would be getting photographed, that’s the beauty of it, people cant pose or try to look their best as the photo is taken in the moment, that’s why Henri Cartier-Bresson had to be very decisive of when to capture the specific photo as no one was prepared for it.

these photos above are all examples of the ‘decisive moment’, they are all pictures of people walking or standing around which shows that these people had no clue they were being photographed and these images are the best as no one can pull a face and do any signs as we would do now, these are all natural photos, The reason this is called the decisive moment is because Henri Cartier-Bresson always had to be in the right place to be able to take these photos, he had to be discrete so that no one would notice that he was taking images of people, most people when they see they are being photographed they would smile or do a pose where as these images above show that they aren’t aware of the photo, one reason is that none of them are actually looking towards the camera. The whole idea of the decisive moment is to capture a precise moment hat creates a story without knowing anything about the photograph, its the way everything is paced around and layered. All these photos were taken without the person knowing making the photo more sentimental and meaningful, there aren’t any people posing and changing the whole point and perspective of the photo. All these photos were transformed into black and white images which helps to capture the events on the street, allowing him to shape the way that major events and everyday life were captured and photographed. Henry stated that the aim of the decisive moment is to capture something that may never happen again is frozen in the frame.