I am using Adobe InDesign to create my zine layout.

Page 1

I chose this to be my front cover as i like how the picture is bland, but then the sailor is a burst of colour. I think it represents the harbour well.

Pages 2 and 3

To start my zine off, i used a picture of the sea and the entry to the harbour. I used these as its the beginning process of the harbour, where the fish get caught, and where boats bring in our foods/packages.

pages 4 and 5

I then used these two pictures of boats to show what comes in to the harbour, whether its for work or leisure.

Pages 6 and 7

I then used this picture of where the boats dock up. I spread this picture across two pages as i am moving in to the labour side of the harbour on the next pages. I like how it evenly divides the book and switches it up.

Pages 8 and 9

I used a picture with two cranes to show how things are moved off of boats on to land sometimes. I then used a picture of the lorry to show how things are manoeuvred around the harbour.

Pages 10 and 11

These pictures were chosen because I like how they tell a story with the lorry coming in on the previous picture, then them parked up, and finally the worker getting ready to work.

Pages 12 and 13

I like the picture on the left because of how central the lorry is. I also like how the picture links back to the previous photos of the lorry’s as its leaving the harbour with the goods inside. I then picked the picture of the left as it is nearly opposite the picture its next to. I also put it in black and white as it is a very old wall with lots of history.

Pages 14 and 15

With these two pictures, I followed the story of history at the harbour. The left picture is a bell pointing to the maritime museum. So, with the next picture I used a cannon which is outside the museum, also representing a lot of history.

Page 16

I then finally used this image as my final one because I like how the figurehead stands out, which also links back to the beginning with the same theme of the sea/linking to the sea.

Evaluation

I chose to layout my zine this way as I like how it kind of tells a story. I like how its a walk through of jerseys harbour and what goes on, from the sea, to boats, to labour and then the history. My aim was to go from the harbour now, to more historical pictures. I like how the picture change from colour to black and white as well to have that mix.

Zine mock up

To physically look at my images and see how the layout looks in person, I printed them out and made a quick ‘zine’. This helped me decide my final layout and how I wanted it to come together.

Add a selection of your final 10-16 images as a moodboard/ gallery to the blog post too, including any archive material too.

What is a narrative?

A narrative is essentially the way a story is told. For example you can tell different narratives of the same story. It is a very subjective process and there is no right or wrong. Whether or not your photographic story is any good is another matter. Narrative writing can be broadly defined as story writing (a piece of writing characterized by a main character in a setting who encounters a problem or engages in an interesting) significant or entertaining activity or experience. There’s the plot. The plot follows a beginning, middle, and end sequence.  The middle of the story is the largest, most significant part, which we call the main event. The main event is really what the story is all about and involves either a problem to be solved or a significant life experience for the main character. 

Stories

Stories let us share information in a way that creates an emotional connection. They help us to understand that information and each other, and it makes the information memorable. Because stories create an emotional connection, we can gain a deeper understanding of other people’s experiences. That not only helps us to understand their lives but allows us to take the lessons they have learned and apply it to our own.

Zine

A photo zine is a self-made, printed issue built of photos and captions. The term comes from the word “magazine”, as zines follow the style of magazines with headings, text, and illustrations put on a grid. An important feature of a photo zine is visual storytelling.

What is my story?

The story for my zine is showing around jersey harbour, and the process and history of it. I used 14 images, both in black and white and colour, to disconnect one theme and make it different.

NARRATIVE: How will you tell your story?

3 Words : romanticize, imagination & reality.

A sentence : A reminder that a lot of hard work goes in to the harbour.

A paragraph : To tell my story, i am going to be using my own images i took at the harbour. I did half in colour to half in black and white. I wanted to go from romanticising the harbour and its ‘beauty'(being shown by the colour) and how Jerseys harbour is advertised now, to getting back to the reality of everyday life and how it was back years ago(being shown by the black and white). For the black and white images, i focused on the presence section of developing my images on adobe Lightroom, this made an older looking effect for these images. For the coloured images, i looked at all the effects and adjusted them, making the colours stand out to attract the eye. I will be going from black and white pictures, to the more colourful and meaningful pictures.

Mood Board

My chosen images for my zine :

Camera Obscura and Pinhole Photography

Camera Obscura is a natural phenomenon in which you have a dark room/chamber and allow light rays to pass through a small hole. These light rays will project an inverted image of the view from outside onto a surface within the dark room. This is similar to how a modern camera works as the camera is the dark chamber and the hole for light is the aperture. The mirror in modern cameras flips the image around so it is no longer upside down. Furthermore, in the 16th century, camera obscura became a popular drawing and painting aid as people would use the projected image to trace it.

Here is an example of the use of camera obscura. This took place in Venice in 2006 and depicts a projection of Santa Maria della Salute on a bedroom wall.

Camera Obscura is still used to this day, an example being the work of Susan Derges. Susan Derges works with nature to produce her images by going out at night and submerging light sensitive paper under water, allowing the moonlight to transfer the image on to the paper.

Nicephore Niepce – Heliography

Source

Joseph Nicephore Niepce was a French Inventor and Photographer, born in 1765. Niepce lacked in artistic ability so used Camera Obscura as a drawing aid, in which he later used to create the process ‘heliography’. He created this process in 1822 and used it to capture the World’s very first permanent photograph. This photograph was of Pope Pius VII, however, it was later destroyed after Niepce attempted to make prints from it. In 1816, Niepce would send letters to his sister-in-law containing small images on paper coated with silver chloride, however, they were negatives and when they were exposed to light for viewing they would go dark all over. Niepce then explored other substances that were affected by light and became intrigued by how bitumen coating would become less soluble after being left exposed to light. This went on to his creation of the heliograph where he would dissolve bitumen in lavender oil and use it to coat either a lithographic stone, a sheet of metal or a sheet of glass and leave it to dry. He would then cover it with an engraving printed on paper and leave it in direct sunlight so that, after sufficient exposure, he could use the lavender oil to rinse away the unhardened bitumen which had been sheltered from sunlight by the lines/dark areas in the engraving. Finally, he would etch the remaining details in with acid. Later, after Niepce’s passing in 1833, his invention was overshadowed by the invention of his partner’s Daguerreotype, an improvement of the Heliograph.

Louis Daguerre – Daguerreotypes

Source 1 and Source 2

Louis Daguerre was a French artist and photographer, recognised for inventing a way to fix the projected image of Camera Obscura, known at the Daguerreotype. The invention of the Daguerrotype was announced on the 19th of August, 1839 at a meeting of the French Academy of Science in Paris. A Daguerrotype is sometimes referred to as a ‘mirror with memory’ and it was originally made by, first, polishing a sheet of silver-plated copper to look like a mirror then making it sensitive to light by using Iodine in a closed box. After this, camera obscura was used to expose the surface to light and create an image. This would take a range of 3 to 15 minutes. Finally, this image was fixed by desensitising the sheet to light using sodium thiosulfate or salt with gold chloride.

The surface of daguerrotypes are very delicate and they can be ruined just by wiping them, therefore, they were often blowtorched around the edges to be sealed and put into protective cases/picture frames.

Henry Fox Talbot – Calotype

Source

Henry Fox Talbot was an English scientist, inventor and photographer who invented a photographic process known as the Calotype, otherwise known as the Talbotype. This was an improvement over the Daguerreotype as multiple prints could be made from it and the exposure time was only a couple of minutes, however, the Daguerreotype could only be reproduced by copying it with a camera and took longer for the photo to be produced. Prior to the Calotype, Henry created a process known as the “photogenic drawing” process which produced paper negatives on light-sensitive paper with silver salts. This was similar to Nicephore Niepce’s Heliograph, however Talbot found a way to prevent the photographs from darkening when being again exposed to sunlight. The Calotype was a modified version of this process with a faster exposure time and development process and it allowed negative prints to be made positive through contact printing.

Below is the earliest surviving negative by Talbot, depicting the lattice window at Lacock Abbey, made in August 1835.

William Collie was a photographer who was born in Scotland in 1810 but moved to Jersey in 1841. He was one of the earliest photographers in the Channel Islands and had a portrait business at Belmont House in St Helier. Collie was the first known photographer to use this photographic process in Jersey and in the late 1840s made a series of Calotypes depicting ‘French and Jersey Market Women’.

Robert Cornelius – Self Portraiture

Source 1 and Source 2

Robert Cornelius, born in Philadelphia in 1809, was an inventor, businessman and lamp manufacturer. He worked for his father in his lamp shop and specialised in silver plating and metal polishing. After being hired by a Client to produce a silver plate for a daguerreotype, Cornelius became intrigued by the process.

At just 30 years old, Robert Cornelius was believed to have taken the world’s very first portrait in 1839. He took this image just two months after the announcement of Daguerre’s Daguerreotype outside the back of his family’s store in Philadelphia. He created this portrait by removing the lens frame and running to stand in front of the camera completely still for 10-15 minutes then covering the lens back up. Cornelius wrote on the back of this Daguerreotype “The first light Picture ever taken. 1939.”

Henry Mullins – Carte-de-Visite

The Carte de Visite, translating to ‘visiting card’, was a small photographic portrait, typically 54 x 89mm in size mounted onto a piece of card 64 x 100mm in size. They became increasingly popular in the 1860s and were exchanged among friends and family to create albums.

Henry Mullins was a photographer who moved to Jersey in 1848. Between his relocation in 1848 to 1873, Mullins produced thousands of photographs of Islanders, with almost 10,000 available to view online. He owned a successful studio in the Royal Square in St Helier and was the photographer of choice for the Island’s leading members and wealthy families.

Richard Maddox

Richard Leach Maddox, born in England in 1816, was a photographer and physician who, in 1871, invented lightweight gelatin negative dry plates for photography.

These dry plates are an adaption to Frederick Scott Archer’s Collodion process, which was invented in 1851. These plates had to be sensitised at the time of exposure, meaning that the emulsion was still wet and produced ether vapour which can affect a person’s health.

Richard Maddox’s dry plates consisted of a glass plate coated with light-sensitive gelatine emulsion that was left to dry before use. This allowed photographers to use commercial plates off a shelf, rather than have to prepare their emulsions. It also allowed for cameras to be smaller and have faster exposure times. This process was developed and eventually led to the ‘Kodak’ Camera.

George Eastman – Kodak

Source

George Eastman was an American entrepreneur, born in New York in 1854, who founded the Eastman Kodak Company. Kodak being a word he created himself. Due to the passing of Eastman’s father, he had to leave school at the age of 14 to support his family financially. In the 1870s, whilst George was working as a Bank Clerk, he became interested in photography and, in 1879, created a machine for coating dry plates. In 1881, alongside Henry Strong, George founded the Eastman Dry Plate Company. He then began experimenting with film roll to replace plates and invented the Kodak Film Camera, in which he released in 1888.

This camera could be hand-held and was designed so that it was simple for anyone to use, with just the click of a button. Additionally, the camera was pre-loaded with enough film for 100 photos, priced at $25, and once the film had been used up it could be returned to develop the film and have new film inserted for $10. Eastman’s slogan was “You press the button, we do the rest”.

In 1990, Eastman Kodak released the Brownie Box Camera, a camera designed for use by anyone, including children. The initial price of the Brownie was just $1, equivalent to $37 in 2023, due to it being a basic cardboard box camera with simple controls. This became an increasingly popular camera for photography and many other models of it were later created by Eastman Kodak.

Digital Photography

Source

Digital Photography first came in to being in the 1950s when the first video tape recorders were developed in 1952. Later, in 1957, Russel A. Kirsch created the first ever digital image. It was a portrait of his son which he produced using a Drum Scanner, technology that could sense the differences between light and dark in an image.

In 1969, Willard Boyle and George Smith invented CCD (charged-coupled device) chips. These could be used in video cameras and by 1975 CCD cameras were being used for broadcast television. In December 1975, Steven Sasson, an electrical engineer and inventor at Eastman Kodak, produced the very first true digital camera using CCD chips. This was a large, battery-operated, self-contained camera, weighing 8 pounds, with a resolution of 0.1 megapixels and image production time of 23 seconds. The images from this camera were digitally recorded onto a cassette tape.

From then on, digital camera technology has continued to evolve to this day and they are now everywhere, from DSLRs to phones, computers, cars and more.

camera obscura and pinhole photography

long before the introduction to photography the idea of it had already existed in the ancient world. this known because the evidence shows that the earliest use of camera obscura dates back to 4th century BC. the ideas traditionally came from places like china and the ancient Greeks. ideas of photography were raised by people such as Mozi a Chinese philosopher. How was camera obscura done? Camera obscura was achieved by setting up in a dark room with a little hole in one of its wall, then light is needed from the outside of the room (daylight from the sun) reflecting an image of the outside world on to the wall opposite the hole in the wall. This method has been used and refined developing it to become more modern in the present. most well known examples of camera obscura would be the following, Leonardo Da Vinci using the method to study proportions an perspective in art, and Athemius of Tralles a Greek mathematician who used camera obscura for his experiments.

photo example of camera obscura

modern day recreations

the first ever picture when was it and is it really the first ever image?

unlike most historic things no one is actually sure of when photography actually started or if we really have found the first ever photo. However its widely believed that the first ever photo was made in 1827, by Nicéphore Niépce.

calotypes and Daguerreotypes

(henry fox talbot)

in 1839, development of photography started with a two step process. Henry fox talbot’s process started by putting images through light an silver chloride coated on paper, this produces a “negative” this invention was seen as groundbreaking. By exposing a little bit of light, over a short period of time these images would turn darker creating what we would call a “negative image” due to it having a limited amount of light in the image. From this process you could then use these images as templates to then create clear images by using chemicals on these papers then you’d be able to numerously print them. This is what we know as Calotypes.

(henry fox talbot example)

Louis Daguerre

the second type, that takes inspiration from  Nicéphore Niépce’s work using heliography, created by Louis Daguerre he used iodine-sensitized silver plate and mercury vapor. The method named after himself the “Daguerreotype” its process of making the image is quite unique. This method creates an image much different in comparison to Henry Fox Talbot as this process helps create a more 3D effect instead of a flat 2D image. despite the more unique image and method of creation the Henry Fox Talbots method would be superior as its was more simplistic making it the easier choice for everyone who wanted to make an image. however, his method would become more popular in the distant future due to the invention of the film camera.

Richard Maddox

Richard Maddox, suggested that sensitizing chemicals, calcium bromide and silver nitrate, would be be coated on a glass plate in gelatin. From this idea, Charles Bennett, made the first gelatin dry plates for the public to purchase, soon after the emulsion of these chemicals could then be placed onto celluloid roll film.

these gelatin plates helped create a revolution in photography. as they were commercially marketed as people bought them as if they were a necessity which helped create an even bigger interest for photography for people among the UK. it also saved time for photographers from having to sit in a dark room to create there images, instead images could have been stored away and developed whenever necessary. his work would also help with the construction of small cameras that could be held with your two hands.

(example of the work that helped create the said camera)

George Eastman

George Eastman was an America entrepreneur born in New York, and invented the first ever kodak camera (this lead to well known photographers such as Ansel Adams and Weegee to using this camera or later installments of it). However before he created the kodak camera he was already an expert in the field of photography as he had mastered the ability to make dry plate for photos. he manufactured these plates in London in factory and established a film company named “Eastman Dry Plate and Film”. This lead to him applying the dry plates process onto film therefore creating the Kodak to which he then made available for the public in 1888.

(this was a marketing poster for the camera when it was first created)

The Kodak Brownie- the camera that made photography accessible

out of all the installments of the kodak camera one of their most important creations was the kodak brownie, this is because it was a user friendly camera for people who weren’t exactly experts with a camera (similar to a camera on a phone) as it was as easy as pressing a button and it would create an image, it also a whole new market of people as photography was mainly for people of the upper class as it was pretty expensive to indulge in photography in its early days however this camera changed that and made it available to people of the middle class. In the 1900s the amount of people that had this camera sky rocketed on a mass scale.

digital photography

with film photography predominantly being used in the 20th century because of George Eastman’s invention it was bound to change with the tech development happening around the world. This lead to Steve Sasson’s invention of the first self contained digital camera for kodak. with this invention it became even more simple for people to use cameras which then obviously lead to modern day cameras being developed into what they are easy to use and accessible to anyone in the world.

(side by side comparison of film and digital camera)

after this a rapid growth in camera development happened from the 1970s up until the modern day

history of jersey photography

Thomas Sutton

Thomas Sutton is a well known photographer he was the first ever photographer to take a colored image by that isn’t the only reason he is well known Establishing a studio in St Brelade in 1848 here he worked alongside another photographer, Frenchman L.D. Blanquart-Evrard were they had a printing establishment. In 1850 this studio was advertised as “founded at the suggestion of, and patronized by, H R H Prince Albert” who was known to be a keen collector of photographs. 

(first ever colored image)

“What is your story?”

Described in 3 words –

Time, Life, Sea

Described in a sentence –

The lives and history’s of those who worked among the Jersey fisheries.

Described in a paragraph –

My Zine will portray a story through pictures, that depict the history and lives of great people, who worked among the fisheries and shores of Jersey. It will show the hard work and dedication that many generations of people and families have lived to get Jersey and its harbours to the incredible place it sits now.

Narrative –

“How will you tell your story?”

My story will be shown through photos that I have taken and meticulously selected to show the story of Jersey’s harbours. My title will help open and grasp the overall idea of my Zine and with small statements to help paint a picture of my story. With careful selection of font and wordplay throughout the zine will help bring everything together and show the viewers of my zine exactly what I want them to see. I have taken inspiration from countless archived photos or zines themself to help guide me on the best possible outcomes for my zines as well.

Sequencing –

I began with thinking about what kind of story I wanted to depict. I wanted to find a focused photo for me to use for my front cover. The photo used on the front and back of the zine helps start and end this beautiful story I wanted to show.

I found establishing shots that I gathered, that I though, even on their own, could show such a powerful story. So, with that idea, if I found a group of establishing shots, how great would my story be if each photo individually, could show their own mini story.

I wanted on each open page for the photo’s I’ve chosen to have a visual relationship, whether that was due to colours or just the nature of each photo. Carefully choosing each photo was a main focus for me during the creation of my zine. I believe that individually photos tell a story but together they can show a life.

The images I’ve chosen gradually depict a story that not only has history but almost shows a life as it unfolds. From photos from a museum to live photos of that life today.

Smaller detailed shots are added throughout the zine to show things in these photos that may usually be overlooked. However to closely look at them is like looking into a hidden window of the past which helps wind my story all together.

Final Layout-

Evaluation and critique

Personally, I liked the images I chose as they all link to a nautical theme however I added heavy grain and filters to give them an older aesthetic due to the history of Jersey Maritime and harbours. I also liked how when I put two images on a double page they contrasted significantly together. The use of some black and white images with coloured images created variation to make every image differentiated. The boarders on some images also created variation so every page would look different, creating the unexpectant. I liked how the second image and the last image have the same subject, but from different angles as I think it closes my zine very significantly and allows to show different angles. I kept those images in colour as the colours are vibrant and different which contrasted each boat and made the images more eye catching to viewers. Each image I chose had historical elements if looked into depth. For example, the last image with the historical factors of rowing as these boats are the old rowing boats that also have an old aesthetic. The water sports boats showed more evolution in society as water sports had grown to be more and more popular throughout generations. The picture of fishermen boots contrasting with the fishermen as historical context as the storage rooms fishermen used started many generations ago. The fishermen contrasts significantly as the occupation of fishermen is permanent as society needs fishermen and what they do. I liked how I emphasized the contrast in these images by one being in black and white, and one in colour as they are very different looking images, but link very significantly. I chose my first image to be my first image as I liked the shadows underneath the main subject; watersports equipment. As well as this, I liked the significance of the background; the harbour contrasting with the foreground. The different range of colours in my first image is eye catching which is why I kept it in colour rather than black and white. Another reason I kept it in colour, is the growth in watersports in society as it is more of a modernized hobby. Therefore, as it is more modernized I kept it in colour as black and white images create the sense of a vintage old aesthetic due to the origin of photography. Lastly, I chose this image as it includes the working element in the background through the harbour, and the more fun and hobby side through the equipment. This shows all factors of historical growth within maritime in Jersey. Therefore, this is why I labelled my zine as ‘ Nautical’ as every element in the first image continued with the rest of my zine, obtains subjects to do with the sea.

On the other hand, I could’ve edited my second image to get rid of the large shadow in the centre of the boats as some of the boats are in the light. I would of liked to get rid of the pole on the left hand side of the image by standing or photographing in a different angle. On the image of the watersports equipment in black and white, I would of lowered my exposure levels on my camera settings so the sky and the clouds were more clear, rather than blurry. On the last image, I like how half of the boats are in the light as it looks much more significant on this image however I would of liked to get rid of the branch in the foreground of the image. From another perspective, the branch in the foreground can be seen as purposeful to create differentiation. Aside from this, I liked how many images were edited to reach all the bleeds to make less gaps and white areas on the zine. However still maintaining some images normal size to create high contrast and comparison. Overall, I liked my end result and how they link within the theme of ‘ Nautical’ in lots of different ways to stop my zine from being dull. Instead, it is thought out in depth with editing techniques to show viewers the importance of contrasting and comparing meanwhile linking.

For the first photoshoot, I visited a few of Jersey’s marinas to discover some pieces of Jersey’s harbour history.

During my journey, I explored parts of the newer St. Helier Marina, the older South Pier, and even older Albert Pier. My focus initially was to take as many photos of anything I found interesting in order to inspire myself in later photoshoots.

This tended to be the various historical monuments placed all around the harbour, large boats that were moored in the marina, or things I couldn’t even name. This became very helpful for gaining an understanding of the harbour and the various elaborate systems that have been created over the harbour’s history. For example, the object in the right photo is a buoy, used to warn sailors of danger. The two hats on the top are actually arrows indicating to sailors that the danger is to the north of the buoy.

During the photoshoot, this image stood out to me, however my camera settings were very wrong and the photo came out very underexposed and the white balance completely out of place. I was able to fix this in Lightroom.

This edit of the image worked very well. By removing the terrible colour of the background and making it black and white, I was able to very easily balance the photo in contrast to the vibrant blue. However, I was very unpleased with how the initial photo came out. In my second photoshoot I returned to the same angle to retake the photo with a clearer sky.

This version of the photo is much better. There is so much more colour present in the photo which adds a genuine tone to the image. The blue crane as a whole is being used as a leading line that guides the viewer through the photo as if it is bleeding the colour of the sky onto the rest of the photo. The main colours of this image are from the blue sky and crane, the distant green trees, and the turquoise water at the bottom which acts as an intersection between the blue and green. Sandwiched between those is the New North Quay, which is used for hauling containers on and off small cargo ships. The subtle yellows and reds scattered along the quay bring the photo further through the colour spectrum. There is also a flat deadpan look to this photo, and in combination with the perfectly symmetrical beams reflecting in the water at the bottom of the photo, this image really stands out to me.

Another photo that stood out to me in my first photoshoot was this.

I liked this photo because of the contrasting vibrant colours and the composition of the objects that form a diagonal line. However, I was unhappy with this version of the photo because there wasn’t enough colour and the image didn’t look as full as it truly could have with the cloudy grey sky. In my second photoshoot I came back to fix this.

In this version of the photo, I took it in landscape to capture a larger photo than before. By doing this I also include more of these colourful buoys in the photo, which I think makes the photo look more full and vibrant. With the addition of the bright blue sky, the colours now work very well with each other, the blue sky acts like a base for the rest of the colours to pop and stand out to the viewer. The juxtaposition of the massive incinerator between the yellow and red buoy also makes the objects looks big and tall. Overall, this is a standout photo from all of the photoshoots that I definitely will want to use in my project.

During the second photoshoot, I noticed this small boat coming into the harbour. I also noticed the contrast between the small boat and the yacht nearby, and the incinerator and a support beam that I could use to create a juxtaposed line by adjusting my position. Once I lined them up, I simply waited for the boat to sit evenly between the two support beams to take the photo.

Once I had the photo, I adjusted the colouring and the contrast. I like this photo somewhat, it has an odd looking composition, the elements of the photo look very contained. However, I feel that the yacht is a bit too long and it drags the photo out to the left a little too much, which creates this empty space above it which slightly skews the photo overall. If the boat was a bit shorter, I could crop the image so that this empty space is out of frame and the elements of the photo look even more contained.

This is another image from the second photoshoot. I was intrigued by these colourful lines on the floor that I could use as perspective lines, and the large ‘Ferryspeed’ logo. As I was lining up the shot through the gaps of a fence, I noticed this yellow ‘terminal tractor’ getting ready to reverse. As it rotated into place, I captured this image when it was perfectly in between these perspective lines. In addition to the blue sky, the yellow and greens in the photo stand out very prominently and helps to section off each area of the photo. The flat blue and grey at the top and bottom make the image appear overall very minimal and basic, while also acting as a canvas for the rest of the elements to sit in the middle of. As a whole, this image is another that I will be keen to use in my project.

While I was at the harbour the second time, I stumbled upon this.

This is the HMS Iron Duke, a 133m Royal Navy battleship launched in 1991, although it hasn’t been involved in many wars, with the exception of 2 artillery missions off the coast of Africa directed at Libya in 2011 during the First Libyan Civil War. Prince William served as Sub-Lieutenant on this ship in 2008 in the Caribbean. During this time, the ship intercepted multiple large shipments of illegal substances headed to Europe. Nowadays, the ship has been refitted and has stayed around the south coast of England between Portsmouth and Plymouth. It just so happened that the ship was in Jersey the day I was at the harbour, and although the sun direction is a little bit late making the ship mostly shaded, I still think I can use this photo in my project. I do wish I had returned the next morning to grab a better photo with more direct lighting, but this photo is honestly good enough.

After the second photoshoot, I knew I had good photos, but not that many of them. However, I was able to get some more photos when I returned to do some maintenance on my family’s boat.

On the boat, it was very hard to line things up correctly because of how much the boat was rocking in the waves. Also, I had complications with the objects constantly moving more and more out of place as I tried to line each photo up correctly. This made it harder to get good photos. However, this didn’t stop me from getting good photos, it just limited me as to how many I got.

Overall, this was my favourite photo out of them all.

However, the white balance in this photo was really wrong and the photo came out really dark and unsaturated. I fixed this in lightroom.

I simply made everything except the sea and the red buoy black and white, and brought up the vibrance and saturation to bring out the remaining colour. Overall, I think this effect creates a contrast between the old Elizabeth castle constructed in the 1500s and the new world around it that has changed so much since.

After I got off the boat and started heading back, I continued to take photos at the harbour. This tended to be various boats in the Old Harbour marina and the old commercial buildings.

I mostly experimented with the very reflective water that the boats sat on. I liked how these photos looked, the reflections helped fill the frame rather than simply acting as blank space. However, I wasn’t totally happy with how the colour of these photos came out, they didn’t match the other photos that I was going to use for the project. Although, this photo stood out to me.

This was a very simple photo I took near the end of the photoshoot. I like the basic geometric shapes that form from the curvature of the objects. This photo does not fit with the rest of the images in my opinion, it has a lot less details and overall just doesn’t fit with the sequence, however I feel that this image will be good to include on the back of my zine just to conclude the project.

Front page-

Why I chose this image- I chose this image because the main subject is water sports which can be seen as significant as it shows an element of enjoyment and humour rather than working boats to allow company’s to operate efficiently. This decreases less tension and creates an element of fun and casual aesthetic which is important for the front cover. However, this image still obtains the working operations in the background such as the harbour and boats to bring supplies in. This makes a contrast of two important things. Another reason is because after I edited the image the left side is more shaded and dark in contrast to the bright sea and sky which shows variation and colour. The dehaze increased made the clouds more emphasised which they are seen as circle shapes, which contrast to the shapes of the canoes.

Page 2- Double page spread:

I decided to chose this image as it shows an element of history and also enjoyment, because these type of boats ( rowing boats) can be used for fishing etc, but also used to be a means of transportation. They were extensively used in the Mediterranean trade. The different colours of boats stuck out to me. To add more potential to this image, I added a heavy grain and a matte filter to make it have more of a historic aesthetic and to make it look like it has been taken from an old camera. I like that it doesn’t say a lot unless fully in depth. I like how they can be seen as an enjoyment sport such as rowing, pleasure or fishing. The origin of rowing began in the earliest regatta was held on 16 September 1274 in Venice, Italy. Which represents the historical aspect of this picture.

Page 3-

I chose these specifically together because the two images contrast well together. The left image’s main subject is fishermen boots hanging from a fishermen’s store room. This obtains some element of a historical factor due to these storage rooms being in Jersey for years, and had many people on a waiting list to gain one. Therefore, I added a heavy grain and a black white filter to give more of an old aesthetic. I think this contrasted significantly to the right image due to the main subject being a fishermen and his profession of catching sea creatures. The main reason why I put these images together is because the right image is modernized and more visible that it is the present due to me keeping it clear when editing, in contrast to the left image. Therefore, these two images relate on a factor, but are also slightly different as they are portraying the same thing, in different times. Within the first image, these cottages for fishermen had been located since the first ever harbour, and colour was still difficult within photography. This is why I made it black and white to emphasize the historical aesthetic, to compare with the coloured modernized image.

Page 4-

I chose this image because there isn’t a lot in it, yet shows a lot. The main subject is visibly the safety boat however in the background there is 3 fishing boats not in use. I liked the vibrant colour of red in contrast to the opposite, blue. This instantly makes the viewer of the image draw their eyes to the safety boat. I put the image on a double side spread to show the environment around it. I added heavy grain to make the image look more vintage and old, but kept the colour to keep it modernized as safety has and always will be a priority. I like the way the sea is highly texturized in contrast to the texturized rocks in the background. As well as the foreground, having a completely different textures and even shapes. This shows a varied image showing different elements in one image.

Page 5 experiment 1-

Page 5 experiment 2- Adding borders

Why did I chose these two images?
I decided my left image for my zine because it shows a story. Not only does this show peoples professions, such as fishermen and selling the sea creatures they sell but it also has an element of the ‘ Decisive moment’. This is because I caught the right moment of the main subject in the centre of the image getting ice. Whereas, although the viewers eye will instantly go to the centre of the image, the man on the right side of the image is still very significant. The background of the image shows the environment and operations needed to operate their employment. The contrast of darker and lighter shades make it have an older aesthetic with deepened shadows. I decided not to make this black and white as I thought the brown and cooler filter made it look more natural to match it with the image, as the image and the people are completely natural. Which is a very big key factors of ‘ Decisive moments’ as people may change their behaviour and mannerisms. I contrasted and compared my left image to my right image because right image shows the harbour and operations on how the harbour works. The harbour is very historical due to it first being built and opened in the 1700’s and this is why I chose to put it in black and white, as photography started in the 1800’s but colour only began in 1861. This is to emphasize how long the harbour has been around to make an old and vintage aesthetic. The high contrast of the clouds and the texturized sea makes the image more interesting and drawing to the eye. The bottom half of the image has significantly dark shades whereas the top half of the image is very light which is obviously separated through the middle. I think both these images matched well as the left shows how it operates in contrast to the operations itself.

Page 6-

I chose the left image as they are sport boats. They are not to operate for an objective like fishermen with rowing boats. Instead, these are for pleasure and enjoyment for ones self. I liked how it shows something other than employment or operations. The contrast of the lighter sky to the dark deepened shadows on the floor is significant. Not only this, but the reflection off the kayaks creates a mystery factor due to the fact as a viewer you cannot see around the main subject, making your eyes only paying attention the centre of the image. In contrast to the right image, I personally believe it is a good match due to the fact these boats in the harbour could be for enjoyment as their main function is not to do something productive. The range of different colours stood out to me, so I kept it in colour. Another reason I kept it in colour was because when St Helier harbour began in the 1700’s the boats that came in were purely to help Jersey operate, such as trades and bringing supplies in etc. Therefore, this image shows how now there is more than that, and how the harbour has modernized. Therefore, these images contrast significantly and show more of a modernized aesthetic and look.

Page 7-

Page 8-

Page 7&8 experiment-

I chose this image because it has many geometrical shapes with different textures and colours. Although it isn’t showing a lot, it is showing the more in depth products on how the harbour operates and potentially even Jersey itself. I put it on a double page spread because the separation of colour between the metal boxes would separate nicely between two pages like so. The contrast of rectangular coloured boxes with a circular black tyre within the centre of the box is very significant and drawing to the eye. The texture of the blue wood to the right almost showing half of a triangle. The darker shade of the left box is significant as the two other boxes are bright and draws your eyes to the vibrant coloured boxes.

Final page-

I chose this image because I liked the way all the rowing boats were very close together with lots of different vibrant colours. I liked the way this image was portrait as it is following the way the boats are going. I think the wooden path on the right side of the boats is very significant due to showing different textures and shapes contrasting with the boats. In the foreground it is showing a different style of boats however, the colourful boats in the fore ground are the main subject and the most eye catching to a viewer. I wanted to make it have an older and vintage aesthetic and to do so I added a heavy grain and a matte coloured filter. I wanted this image to look like it had been taken from an older camera due to the historical factors of rowing boats, not only this but because this was taken in the harbour which had began in the 1700’s. The boats look rather rusty and looks like they have been in use for a while, so changing the style of the image to older definitely emphasises this.

Changing some bleeds-

Adding a title-

Page1 (The front page) – I made it in black and white and put the photo full bleed all over the page with black writing that has an effect on it.

Page2- This is also a double spread but landscape to capture the whole image.

Page3- One of the images is full bleed so you notice that one more and the other one is normal.

Page4- Here is another full page spread of one image, landscape.

Page5- This page has one photograph and the other page has writing about St Helier harbour.

Page6- Has a poem about the harbour on the left and a photograph on the right.

Page7- last page black and white full bleed, just a simple image of the boats with low tide.

About the Zine.

Each of these I did a shoot at St. Helier Harbour because I wanted to show the mix of man-made stuff and nature. I like how the boats and buildings sit next to the water, and I wanted to capture how even busy places can feel quiet sometimes. The lighting was soft and cloudy, which was great because it made everything look calm without harsh shadows. I used a medium aperture (around f/8) so both the boats and the background stayed in focus, giving a good sense of the space. I went for cooler colours like blues and greys to give the photos a chilled, maybe even a bit lonely, mood. I also used lines and symmetry in my shots to show the difference between the solid structures and the more flowing, natural feel of the sea.

There is loads of different tones with being light and dark capturing the sea and the boats all around the harbour- you could say there is a pattern of repetition where by each image is lining and capturing each bit sort of like a sequence.

the ISO to 400 or 800 roughly, but the higher the ISO, the more grainy the image can look as it was a cold and rainy day. However capturing boats in the sunlight or reflections in the water, stick with a low ISO which is what I did.

I used Slow shutter speed to let in more light and can make moving things like water look soft and blurry, giving it a dreamier effect. On cloudy days, things can look bluish. Try switching to the Cloudy setting to warm things up, which is what I did. By adjusting these three settings, you can make sure your photos of St. Helier Harbour capture the mood you want, whether it’s bright and clear, soft and dreamy, or warm and glowing and by doing all of this I captured exactly what I wanted in my images.

Creating a zine about St. Helier Harbour has been a personal and creative project. The harbour, a place I’ve known all my life, provided a mix of old boats, local people, and daily activity that helped me explore my photography in new ways.

I’ve always seen St. Helier Harbour, but photographing it made me appreciate its detail, the old fishing boats, the reflections on the water, and the people working there. Working at the harbour wasn’t always easy especially with unpredictable weather and lighting but it taught me to adapt. I learned patience, waiting for the perfect light or an interesting moment, and focused on capturing the everyday life of the people who work there. Putting together the zine was about more than just taking photos; it was about telling a story. I arranged the photos in a way that takes the viewer on a journey through the harbour. I added handwritten notes to give it a personal touch and make the zine feel like a reflection of my experience.

Conclusion

Overall, this project helped me grow as a photographer by teaching me how to tell a story through images. It also deepened my connection to a place I’ve known for years, allowing me to capture the beauty and life of St. Helier Harbour in a way that feels meaningful to me.

I printed out all of my zine photos onto one big sheet of A3 paper, fitting 18 images to a page. I then cut the images out and laid them onto A4 paper which I had folded to create a small book.

The reason I did this was to create a smaller scale mock-up of my zine so I could see how my images worked together. I was not able to print my images in colour, and the images are of course not to the scale how I would have them in my final print, but I wanted to just create a small mock-up to really see if I enjoyed my storyline and how well it all flowed together. I also have not added my text anchorage to my mock-up because some people will just not even bother with reading the text, so I think this gives me more of a feel of what the real one would be like than if I did add my text.

**I took these photos on my phone and then emailed them to my school account so therefore they may not be the best quality. **

Cover Page

I will have this image fit the whole page and have a title but I think it is a good historic cover page.

1st Page Spread

These images will also have text, and create historic anchorage and cover both pages.

2nd Page Spread

For my second page spread I have kept with the black and white theme, but will include some colour popping to smoothly transition to newer modern photos.

3rd Page Spread

This image will be bigger across the page as a bold statement.

4th Page Spread

This image will be bigger with colour to create a better sharper transition

5th Page Spread

I want this page spread to be the start of the modernisms.

6th Page Spread

I want to use this page spread as a visual, something to make people think rather than just telling them the answer.

7th Page Spread

This will be a very factual page, meaning it will include text with facts about ferry speed and the pier.

Back Page

My last page is more of a loop, a final connection to the cover page.