NARRATIVE STORY: What is your story?
Describe in:

• 3 words
• A sentence
• A paragraph

NARRATIVE: How will you tell your story?

• Images > New St Helier Harbour photographs
• Archives > Old photographs of St Helier Harbour from SJ photo-archive or JEP Photographic Archive
• Texts > Write a short introduction or statement about your picture story, image captions
• Typography > creative uses of words, letters, font-types, sizes

Camera Obscura & Pinhole photography:

Photo example of Camera Obscura:

Nicephore Niepce & Heliography

What is Heliography?

Heliography is an early photographic process producing a photoengraving on a metal plate coated with certain chemicals to achieve the positive and negative tones. It was invented by  Joseph Nicéphore Niépce around 1822.

Nicéphore Niépce began experiments with the aim of achieving a photo-etched printmaking technique in 1811. By 1822, he had made the very first light-resistant heliographic copy of an engraving, made without a lens by placing the print in contact with the light-sensitive plate. In 1826, he increasingly used pewter plates because their reflective surface made the image more clearly visible. In 1827, he then produced the very first photograph.

Experimentation:

Niépce knew that the acid-resistant Bitumen of Judea used in etching hardened with exposure to light. In experiments he coated it on plates of glass, zinc, copper and silver-surfaced copper, pewter and limestone, and found the surface exposed to the most light resisted dissolution in oil of lavender and petroleum, so that the uncoated shadow areas might be traditionally treated through acid etching and aquatint to print black ink.

Photo example of Heliography:

Louis Daguerre & Daguerreotype

What is a Daguerreotype?

Daguerreotype is said to be the first commercially successful photographic process (1839-1860) in the history of photography, created by the inventor Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre. The daguerreotype is accurate, detailed and sharp. It is very delicate because it has a mirror-like surface. Each Daguerreotype is a unique image on a silver coppered plate. This photographic process was widely used during the 1840s and 1850s.

Experimentation:

To make the image, the base is a sheet of silver-plated copper polished to a mirror finish. Then it was treated with fumes that made its surface light-sensitive, exposed it in a camera for as long as was judged to be necessary; which could be as little as a few seconds for brightly sunlit subjects or much longer with less intense lighting. The resulting image on it was made visible by fuming it with iodine vapours which formed a silver-iodine surface to the plate. The plate is then exposed to light transmitted through a lens, once exposed the plate
was removed and exposed to vapours from heated mercury, only then would the image form. Then it’s sealed behind glass in a protective enclosure as the Daguerreotype is very fragile. The image will appear either positive or negative, depending on the angle at which it is viewed, how it is lit and whether a light or dark background is being reflected in the metal.

Photo example:

Henry Fox Talbot & Calotype

Henry Fox Talbot and Louis Daguerre fixed shadows

William Henry Fox Talbot was an English scientist, inventor, and photography pioneer who invented the salted paper and calotype processes, precursors to photographic processes of the later 19th and 20th centuries. Talbot was best known as the British inventor of photography and in 1834 he discovered how to make and fix images through the action of light and chemistry on paper.

What is a Calotype?

Calotype is a photographic process introduced in 1841 where negatives were made using paper coated with silver iodide. It produces a monochrome, blue coloured print on a range of supports, often used for art, and for reprography in the form of blueprints.

Photo example:

Robert Cornelius & self-portraiture

Robert Cornelius, an American photographer and pioneer in the history of photography, was said to be the first person to produce a self-portrait.

Around October 1839, Cornelius improvised a camera obscura and made his first daguerreotype, a self-portrait outside of his family store. The image required him to pose still for 10 to 15 minutes and has survived. Other early images of his family made by Cornelius have not been preserved. His self-portrait is generally accepted as the first known photographic portrait of a person taken in the United States.

Photo example:

Julia Margaret Cameron & Pictorialism

Julia Margaret Cameron is regarded as one of Britain’s foremost photographers and one of the leading portraitists of the 19th century. She is known for her soft-focus close-ups of famous Victorians and for illustrative images depicting characters from mythology, Christianity, and literature.

Julia Margaret Cameron was born in 1815 into a wealthy, highly cultured, and well-educated family. Cameron went to school mostly in France, and her education was well rounded, but not focused on fine art.

In 1841, one of Cameron’s most important friend sent her some “Talbotypes”, early examples of photographs by Henry Fox Talbot. This influenced Cameron into starting photography. Cameron was given her first sliding box camera as a Christmas present from her daughter, Julia, in 1863. Cameron quickly devoted herself to photography and within a month of receiving her first camera, she made the photograph that she called her ‘first success’. The photograph is a portrait of Annie Philpot, the daughter of a family staying in the Isle of Wight where Cameron lived.

From this, she quickly moved on to photographing family and friends for experimentation. Cameron worked quickly and diligently preparing photographs with new equipment. These early portraits reveal how she experimented with soft focus, dramatic lighting and close-up compositions, features that would become her signature style. Cameron embraced the ambiguity around her portraits and cultivated it intentionally, making her a forerunner to the Pictorialist photographers

Pictorialism:

Pictorialism is an international style and aesthetic movement that dominated photography during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Typically, a pictorial photograph appears to lack a sharp focus, is printed in one or more colors other than black-and-white and may have visible brush strokes or other manipulation of the surface.

Henry Mullins & Carte-de-Visit

Henry Mullins was a highly successful photographer, and was by far the most prolific of the first generation of Jersey photographers in the mid-nineteenth century. He moved to Jersey in July 1848 and set up a studio known as the Royal Saloon, at 7 Royal Square.

Henry Mullins was by far the most prolific of the first generation of Jersey photographers in the mid-nineteenth century. He produced thousands of portraits of islanders between 1848 and 1873. While numerous photographic studios opened across the town of St Helier in the 1850s and 1860s Henry Mullins continued to be the photographer of choice for leading members of Jersey society and successful local and immigrant families.

Mullins started to create ‘Cartes de visite’ (visiting cards). They consist of a print stuck to a card mount of about 4 ⅛” x 2 ½” in size. Carte de Visites were traded among Victorians and were so small that they could fit in your pocket.

Maps of St Helier Harbour

St Helier Harbour is the main Harbour of Jersey and it is located on the south coast. Here are some maps of St Helier Harbour showing how it has developed over time:

Development of St Helier Harbour

The Old English and French Harbours were the first parts of St Helier Harbour. The Old Harbour originally consisted of just a jetty until it was upgraded with a new breakwater in 1790, New North Quay.

In 1814, the merchants constructed roads to connect the harbour to town. These roads are now known as Commercial Buildings and Le Quai des Marchands. The Old Harbour also includes South Pier and the abandoned pub, La Folie Inn.

Due to the growth in Jersey’s fishing fleet, work commenced on the new South Pier in 1841, which was later named Victoria Pier, following Queen Victoria’s visit to the Island. This pier was completed in 1846 and it now is home to fish wholesalers such as Fresh Fish Company and Aquamarine Fisheries.

The following year, they had began work on Albert Pier.

Albert Pier was originally a ferry terminal due to its deep water berths, however, it has now been re-developed to berths for large vessels and yachts and the ferry terminal is now located at Elizabeth Harbour. This Harbour was constructed in the late 1980s on reclaimed land and the terminal was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on the 25th of May 1989.

There are now three main Marinas at St Helier Harbour:

La Colette Yacht Basin

This Marina is home to Jersey’s commercial fishing fleet and it is the only one of the three marinas to provide non-tidal, 24-hour access to the sea.

St Helier Marina

St Helier Marina, constructed in 1980, is mostly used for berthing private yachts. To the west of this Marina is Albert Pier and to the East is New North Way, home to Jersey’s Maritime Museum.

This Marina has been the venue for the annual Jersey Boat Show since 2008.

Elizabeth Marina

Elizabeth Marina is the newest of Jersey’s Marinas. Work began to construct this Marina in 1996 and it was completed 2 years later. This Marina has 600 berths and was constructed on reclaimed land. This area also includes Jardins de la Mer, La Frigate Cafe, the Waterfront Car Park, the Radisson Blu Hotel, Castle Quay and a Leisure and Pool complex.

Contact Sheet

Edited Photos

Best Photos

I think this image is really strong and the writing acts as leading lines to the middle of the book. The shadows on the side of the image contrasts against the bright white pages.

The lighting in this image is very strong and highlights the writing on the letter box. The contrast between the dark brown box and the coloured writing gives the image more dimension.

I love this image and I think that it is one of my strongest images. The shape of the window being circular gives contrast against the square shape of the sea and the harsh lines of the boat.

Evaluation

Overall I think the images I have picked are all very strong and different in their own ways and they all encapsulate the maritime history.

Whilst being at the maritime museum and visiting the harbours I had the opportunity to photograph multiple harbours, buildings and historical artefacts. I attempted to incorporate a balanced amount of different images whilst primarily focusing on the harbours and boats of Jersey.

Contact Sheet.

My Edited Photos.

My favourite Edited Photos.

These three Images I like because I have edited them to be very vibrant and colourful as I think they stand out and look very interesting as they are eye-catching. To make these images so eye-catching I primarily increased the vibrance and slightly the saturation. I also then made it into Adobe Photoshop and created a virtual gallery and created them into a strong arragementHere is an example of my camera settings on Adobe Lightroom.

These images all consist of harbours in Jersey such as St Helier harbours and marinas which are essential when it comes to Jersey history. I like how these images show Jersey in the modern day and how it has developed into a very industrial orientated site due to fishing and boats. This makes the harbour a very loud and busy place at times with many workers doing multiple jobs surrounding fishing, manufacturing, transporting and preparing the fish.

Black and White Images.

I particularly enjoyed photographing and learning about the fisherman and different workers and jobs that are essential when it comes to maintaining and caring for St Helier harbours. Photographing the workers was my favourite part of the trip as I feel these images only incorporate a second of the work that is necessary for Jersey’s fishing trade to be so successful. These photos also show the different roles there are when it comes to seafood production. I put these images into black and white as I feel these solo shots f different individuals would look strong as a quadtych with all 4 photos in a frame arrangement.

For example, here is the 4 images of people at work on Jersey harbours in a quadtych arrangement of images. I made this arrangement on Adobe Photoshop. However, to make this image stronger, I need to export my images out of Lightroom and import them into Photoshop to make the images clearer instead of using screen grabs.

To improve on this photoshoot, I would have liked to get more photos of manual workers as I think they are the most important component when it comes to harbours as they are the reason why they were created. I also think they are a great source of history and facts when it comes to harbours and boats.

For this virtual gallery I also created a tryptic where 3 vibrant photos are in an arrangement that fits the best. I also then created another arrangement of 5 images which I think makes he wall look overcrowded and confusing but was good for experimentation.

Overall, I think this photoshoot was very helpful and effective when helping my knowledge of Jersey’s maritime history. To improve, next time I would experiment with different camera settings and take more photos.

Edit 1:

Evaluation

For this portrait image of Captain Nibbs, I had decided to play around with a few of the settings in lightroom to change the hues, blacks + whites, saturation etc. to try and create a more detailed image of captain Nibbs.

Final Mini Edit

Edit 2:

Evaluation

For this edit I have edited it to look like this by playing around with the brightness, shadows, contrast, blacks and whites ratio to create a cool effect. The edit almost looks black and white however its not completely black and white as it has some focus points of colour like the bouys and rings within the boats.

Edit 3:

Evaluation

For this edit I have decided to give it a grainy look to give it an older effect as it now looks as if it was taken years ago which creates a good story as we were focusing the old harbour and the old cod trades from as far back as the 16th century. It has a nice colour contrast and rusty, grainy look which adds a nice little detail to the edit.

Edit 4

Evaluation

Edit 5

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Edit 6

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Edit 7

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Edit 8

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Edit 9,10,11

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Edit 12

Extra edits

With this photoshoot I feel I was very successful as I captured some very strong points within the shoot, such as these images of Captain Nibbs stood within the centre of a place that he knew very well when he was a Sea captain. Or where he is showing us some information about the fishing life and telling us what it is all about. I have got a wide variety of different coloured edits, different shades and ones that have different themes and create a nice story.

Top 5 best images and evaluation

Evaluation

I think this is one of my best images as Captain Nibbs is stood on the slope of the harbour with all the boats in the background. This image has good composition, I took it from a lower angle to capture his stance better. This image almost creates a story about Captain Nibbs as an ex fishermen and boat captain with him stood at the harbour all these years after retiring from his role.

Image 2

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Image 3

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Image 4

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Image 5

What was the involvement of Jersey mariners in the Canadian cod-fisheries and the Transatlantic carrying trade?

Which ports did Jersey ships sail to and trade with?

What type of goods did Jersey merchants exchange for cod-fish?

Jersey cod merchants exchanged cargoes of wine, brandy, dried fruit, citrus fruit, oil, skins, furs, coffee, sugar, salt, and tobacco for cod-fish. Most of the cod was sold to Mediterranean ports, because of the large demand of fish in those countries. These cargoes were brought back from these ports, and often taken straight to an English or Northern European port, then returning home to Jersey with a third cargo, though some would come straight back to Jersey.

To what extent, has the island of Jersey benefitted from its constitutional relationship with Britain and the legacies of colonialism based on a slave plantation economy during the first Industrial Revolution (1760-1840)?

Jerseys Harbours Now

Much of the harbour infrastructure is ageing and no longer meets the needs of today’s passengers or vessels. The Harbour Master Plan aims to modernise the facilities which have developed piecemeal over many centuries.

The regeneration will safeguard the long-term viability of the harbour, serving both passengers and freight, improve customer experience, and realise the area’s potential as a leisure, cultural and tourism destination.

Saint Helier Harbour is the main harbour on the Channel Island of Jersey. It is on the south coast of the island, occupying most of the coast of the main town of St Helier. It is operated by Ports of Jersey, a company wholly owned by the Government of Jersey.^[2]

Facilities include three marinas for berthing private yachts on pontoons, drying harbours and facilities for commercial shipping including roll-on/roll-off ferry berths, a tanker berth and a dock for lift-on/lift-off cargo ships.

Harbour Meaning

Saint Helier Harbour is named after Helier (or Helerius), a 6th-century ascetic hermit from Belgium. The traditional date of his martyrdom is AD 555. His feast day, marked by an annual municipal and ecumenical pilgrimage to the Hermitage, is on 16 July.

The medieval hagiographies of Helier, the patron saint martyred in Jersey and after whom the parish and town are named, suggest a picture of a small fishing village on the dunes between the marshy land behind and the high-water mark.

Harbour History

Over the years, the harbour did develop a lot. From the 19th century to the 21st century, the size, technicality and involvement has changed dramatically as the roads and land grew near the harbour.

In the 19th Century the Old Harbour was constructed. The Chamber of Commerce urged the States Assembly to build a new harbour, but they refused, so the Chamber took it into their own hands and paid to upgrade the harbour in 1790. To shelter the jetty and harbour a new breakwater was constructed and in 1814 the merchants constructed the roads now known as Commercial Buildings and Le Quai des Marchand’s. They did this to connect the harbours to the town and in 1832 construction was finished on the Esplanade and its sea wall. In 1837, a rapid expansion in shipping led the States of Jersey to order the construction of two new piers.

The main harbour is the Victoria quay and the North quay.

Marinas

There are three marinas — the La Collette Yacht Basin, the Saint Helier Marina (built in 1980) and the Elizabeth Marina. The La Collette Yacht Basin is the only one of these to provide non-tidal, 24-hour access to the sea and is home to Jersey’s commercial fishing fleet.

Since 2008, Saint Helier Marina has been the venue for the annual Jersey Boat Show.

Conclusion

The development of the harbours on Jersey, Channel Islands, is a story closely linked to the island’s economic, strategic, and military importance over the centuries. Early in Jersey’s history, natural harbours like St. Helier’s Harbour were essential for trade and fishing, with St. Helier becoming the island’s main port by the Middle Ages, serving as a key hub for maritime activity between England, France, and the wider world. The growth of Jersey as a naval and trading outpost under the Normans in the 12th century led to the expansion of port facilities, although the lack of a deep natural harbour at St. Helier initially limited larger ships. This prompted the construction of piers, wharves, and protective breakwaters. Over the centuries, as Jersey’s maritime economy flourished with its significant involvement in fishing, shipbuilding, and privateering, these early harbours were progressively expanded and fortified. The 16th and 17th centuries saw the construction of fortified structures, such as Elizabeth Castle, which, along with other forts, played a role in protecting the harbours from French and Spanish threats during the ongoing conflicts between England and France. By the 18th and 19th centuries, the commercial and strategic importance of Jersey’s harbours had grown significantly, especially during the Napoleonic Wars, when extensive fortifications were added to safeguard against potential invasion. St. Helier’s Harbour underwent major redevelopment in the 19th century with the construction of new piers and docks to accommodate an increase in trade, including the flourishing fishing and shipping industries, which saw Jersey involved in global trade routes, particularly in commodities like sugar, rum, and cotton. The advent of steamships in the 19th century further prompted infrastructure improvements to cater to more efficient, faster vessels. The construction of St. Aubin’s Harbour in the 18th century also added to Jersey’s maritime capacity, serving both as a commercial port and a military port during times of conflict. The 20th century brought new challenges, particularly during World War II, when the harbours were crucial for German occupation forces, who strengthened coastal defenses and constructed naval installations. After the war, the harbours were modernized for post-war trade and tourism, with increased passenger ferry services linking Jersey to France and mainland Britain. St. Helier’s Harbour was significantly expanded and modernized in the mid-20th century with the creation of new quays, deepening of docking areas, and the construction of new port facilities to accommodate larger vessels. Today, the island’s harbours, especially St. Helier, remain central to Jersey’s economy, serving as the main gateway for imports, exports, tourism, and leisure boating. The harbours continue to evolve, with modern facilities for cruise ships, cargo handling, and recreational yachts, while maintaining their historical legacy as vital nodes in Jersey’s maritime heritage. The development of the island’s harbours, therefore, mirrors its shifting roles in European trade, warfare, and modern tourism, shaping both the physical and cultural landscape of Jersey.

What is a picture story?

A photo story is the intentional use of pictures and words assembled into a story. One of the best ways you can tell a photo story is in a photo book. To better understand what a photo story is, it can be helpful to understand what a photo story is not.

In photography, visual storytelling is often called a ‘photo essay‘ or ‘photo story’, to convey one single message. 

How do you create a picture story?

Questions are the best way to elicit a decent plan for your pictures to tell a proper story. Here are some of our favorites:

• What is your story’s goal?
• What genre does it fit within?
• Who are the key characters? How can you gain their trust?
• What research do you need to do on your subject or location?
• How much time do you have?
• What level of access do you have?
• What equipment and props do you need?
• When and where are you going?
• What lighting and weather will you need to prep for?
• What’s the arc of your story? How will you capture the beginning, middle, and end?
• How will you share your story? What medium will you use?

Examples of picture story’s

In 1948, it was commissioned by Life Magazine, Smith spent 23- days with Dr. Ernest Ceriani and produced a photo essay about Colorado’s country doctor.

Eugene Smith’s at-times almost unsettlingly intimate pictures illustrate in poignant detail the challenges faced by a modest, tireless rural physician—and gradually reveal the inner workings and the outer trappings of what is clearly a uniquely rewarding life.

Another Example

Afghanistan by Simon Nor flock. Simon Norfolk is a Nigerian landscape photographer from Lagos whose work mainly focuses on the nature of battlefields and conflict zones in their various forms. The war in Afghanistan has been going on for nearly 30 years now and because of this the landscape has been very much changed by the conflicts over this long period of time. This 12 picture series is one chapter in a continuous project Norfolk has been creating which attempts to understand how war and the need to fight war has shaped our world. The project also explores how daily life is influenced by military conflict through the technology we use and films we watch for example.

My Plan

I want to create a more informal photobook, but also one that is more relatable. My plan is to make one about teenage life and teenage culture, and also include the historical context of Jersey. For example I would like too make a mini book promoting Jersey and Jerseys teenagers, since there is a lot of superstition about them being so evil.

edits

For this shoot I really enjoyed focusing on taking abstract photos instead of romanticised or straight on photos.

For this photo, I brightened it up by highering the exposer. I did not want to straighten this one as all the angles and corners create a topographical image

This photo did not need to be altered however I did not like it in colour. The black and white adds some gravitas to the image.

favourites

This shoot was most definitely a success. I came out with a multitude of photos which could of been used in the zine and in other projects however my favourites were.

This is one that I find better than the others. the day was cloudy so the ambient light wasn’t blinding. I find that the black and white accentuates the deep meaningful look on his face. He is framed by the arch and the door frame which makes for a nice compassion angling the focus towards him.

Evaluation

This photo shoot was incredibly successful. I really enjoyed going out and taking photos of things I wouldn’t of thought of, and meeting people I wouldn’t of normally met.