Intro –

For this Photoshoot I took inspiration from Landscape Photographer Ansel Adams and based my images of his work. Mainly taking landscapes of storm damage, rather than expanses of areas with untouched natural beauty, I aim to show the natural effect of destruction caused nature.

Noirmont – Storm Damage.

I like how this image turned out as the depth of field covers largely into the details of damage, with a path of destruction stretching from foreground all the way to the background, The suns casting of light across the fallen trees creates a stark contrast in tone. What can be improved is the focus as Some parts of the image had blurs or out focus patches.

Although not technically a landscape, the detail of this image is what enticed me to adjust and edit this image. With a good use of golden natural light, the shadows hugging around the back facing part of the tree creates a engaging point of interest within the image when converted into black and white.

Having the same conceptual use of visualisation, like Adams I had an idea on how I wanted to create this image. With a good composition of trees, fallen debris on the ground, shrubbery and moody clouds in the background the mise-en-scene of this image was further improved with more definition being put on the lights contrast to shadow and reflection of sun on the blades of grass.

This image, to me, turned out well. With a good composition the bushes to the left and trees to the right frame the larger trees in a suitable position to catch the viewers eye. With the trunks silhouettes against the white wall of clouds the top canopy emerges above them on a shade of grey. Coincidentally, this creates a interesting effect to the image. Furthermore with the cleared out area in the foreground, Tire tracks act as leading lines into the area, with the trees reflected in the puddle, it acts almost as a metaphor of what used to be there in that cleared out area.

Needing more space, I would still count this as a landscape due to the depth the picture has into the woods. With the camera centred into the pathway, I waited for the clouds to clear to allow more natural lighting into the frame. Like previous images the natural contrast of tones in light is what I find captivating in these images.

Although close the nature, I feel as if I have captured the concept of storm damage well in this image with the 3 tree trunks and pile of logs showing the extent of damage caused to Jerseys local environment. Shown to stick out like a fork the 3 tree trunks define themselves within the image against the greyer toned trees in the background. To me this exemplifies their importance as by dragging the attention with their altered shape, compared to the undamaged trees in the rear, their changed appearance conveys a deeper effect both visually and metaphorically.

St Brelade – Damage and landscapes

With the beams of pure light emerging in the crevices of the grey clouds, the landscape contrasts with darker tones and the seas lighter horizon line. With houses to the right and view of the rock face and sea to the left, this creates a balanced composition within the image. Lines in this image can be seen from the field below the houses, to their roofs, in the clouds and across the sea, acting like stairs, the viewers eyes can travel from these lines up the image.

With the lighter toned building, its presence is well contrasted through edits to stand out from the darker tones nature that surrounds it. Although more fitting for the next subject (‘The New Topographics’), I saw it as a fitting image to the concept of Romanticism, which Adams was inspired by for his shoots.

Sandwiched in the middle, the lighter tones of fallen branches is surrounded by the much larger, fallen and still standing trees from the bottom to the top. In this image, I find that the darker toned trees acts as representation to the fallen trees in the past, acting as a shadow to their former stature. The fallen trees and branches however, much more brighter in appearance show their present manner.