For this photoshoot, I focussed on street photography while exploring St. Malo. I took photographs of buildings, beaches, people and more. I tried to focus on on the people around the town, capturing there lives and what was happening in the moment.

I was inspired by Henri Cartier Bresson and his work on the decisive moment. A lot of my photos are taken in a similar way to him and the outcome is also similar. I found while taking the photos that it was a really good way to capture a beautiful image as the majority of the time, people aren’t interacting with the camera and the photos aren’t staged, they are the raw moments of someone’s life. When Henri Cartier Bresson said his photography was ‘like hunting but without the killing’, I found this to be very accurate.

In my photoshoot, other than than photographs of people, I was able to take good images of buildings. These buildings included structures from a long time ago, showing the history of the town whether it was a big building block or a small old café. I think those images turned out well as it showed the beauty of the town while still having more modern structure as well. As it had both, I was able to take images that show the comparison of buildings.

I also captured landscapes of the beach which made for some really good photos. In these images, I was able to show the sand, sea, sea walls and sea structures further out in the ocean. I think it was a really good location as there was different photograph opportunities of just one beach.

Behind the Gare St. Lazare 1932

Bresson took this photo behind the Gare St. Lazare, train station. He took this image capturing the decisive moment that this man leaped over water rushing to his final destination. In this moment the man is mid leap, in the air, showing the rawness and realness of the image. The image doesn’t just capture this person in the action, the background and foreground play a big part of the image. Things such as leading lines, balance, framing and rule of thirds also make this image what it is.

Leading Lines

In this photo there are some obvious leading lines which draw your attention to the leaping man, the focal point. These can be found horizontally across the top of the gate and in the water, in the shadows of the objects floating. These automatically, but not done purposefully, attract your eyes to the man in the middle right as he is enclosed between the subtle lines.

Balance & Framing – Negative Space

In this image, there is some negative space which draws your attention to the leaping man, ensuring the attention is on him. This photograph is well balanced, for example, the man in the distant background, is also reflected onto the water along with the gate and building causing the image to be symmetric and to be balanced.

Rule of Thirds

This image works really well as there are things happening across all thirds. However, the main attraction, the man, is in the far right third drawing your attention to him. I think this works really well as he is travelling in that direction which adds some mystery to it as we can.t see where he is going but it is as if we are following him.

Colour

Because of the limitations of cameras in the 30’s, this photo could only be taken in black and white. However, because of this, it allows you to see the image for what it is and not focus on the bright colours that may have been there. It also means that it gives it an almost timeless appearance to it.

Camera Settings

Cartier Bresson most likely used a fast shutter speed to capture the leaping man in sharp focus. He also used a low aperture to catch a still, focused image of this man, focussing on both the foreground and background.

Lighting

For this image, the only lighting used was the natural sunlight presumably around midday as the position of shadows suggest so. This makes the image more natural as it is already taken off guard, the lighting being natural is another way for Cartier Bresson to capture the reality of the moment. The sunlight can normally not turn out well in photos due to strong shadows or the sunlight overtaking, however in this case, he has made these usual flaws into his own advantages. The shadows made interesting geometrical shapes in the background and they also add depth to the image.

Henri Cartier Bresson was a French artist and photographer. He is best known for his candid photographs and street photos. He viewed taking photographs as an extension of the eye and and thought of it “like hunting but without the killing”. The main ideology of his work became known as the decisive moment. He would capture moments in real-time happening without his control. He didn’t stage his images as he wanted to photograph the reality of the world and capture something just as it is. He aspired to connect everyone rather than carry on with the divide, he thought they should be bridged together.

He grew up in France with a wealthy family. He was introduced to arts from an early age and was first was interested in painting until he discovered photography. Then his passion was photography as he saw it as an extension of drawing and extension of the eye as he could capture exactly what he was seeing. Photography inspired him to travel so he went to places around Europe and Africa to dive into other culture. This then inspired his view of life which became ‘ photography isn’t just about images; it’s about capturing the essence of existence’. This helped him to form his philosophy of the ‘decisive moment’.

Bresson used and favoured the Leica rangefinder camera. This is because it was reliable and it was designed in a way that it was more discreet than the usually large cameras in that time. Because of this, he was able to use a faster shooting style which wasn’t obvious and drew attention to him. This camera also had a quiet shutter noise which allowed him to take photographs of moments without being exposed. He would use the 50mm lens as it offers a field view close to the human eye, allowing him to capture the natural moments he was seeing in front of him.

I this piece is one of the best. The colours and visibility of textures really draw your eyes to it. I think it is good how it is in the centre as well surrounded by sky above and grass below, as if it is submerging from it. I think the black and white photo makes it more dramatic and the two next to each other creates a contrast.

I like this landscape image and AI aftermath image as the original image captures a bright sunny day, causing the blue sky and gold sand. I think that this image wouldn’t look as effective as it does if it wasn’t so bright, highlighting the colours. The AI image below it is a representation of how Jersey could look in the future because of human impacts. I think having them paired together makes them both more eye-catching and it makes the images more emotional.

I think these four final images work best when they are put together. When they are presented alone, they don’t look intriguing and don’t show the full extent of damage that had taken place during the storm. However, when they are put together, it allows you to see the different trauma that the woodland faces and has more of an impact on you.

This photo worked really well for the anthropocene project as it fits into/ is similar to a lot of photographers work based around the litter pollution this world suffers from. I used AI to help add litter to the surroundings of the girl. I like that the floor is dark and the shadows as it contrasts against the bright coloured rubbish surrounding the girl. I also think the moody/ blank face is almost symbolised in the darkness of the photo.

Artificial intelligence (AI), is the ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings.

AI-powered tools can analyse photographs and calculate optimal exposure, correct colors, and adjust shadows, among other enhancements. They can also intelligently adapt your images, adding imaginary details that never actually existed. There is a question mark around the ethical nature of AI. However, there’s no doubt that it is a tool that can expand the world of experimental photography.

My AI Experimentation:

I used Photoshop’s ‘Generative Fill’ to manipulate some of my photographs to depict a natural world impacted by man.

Before Generative Fill:

After Generative Fill:

Before Generative Fill:

After Generative Fill:

Tania Volobueva:

I came across the photography by Tania Volobueva, titled ‘Trash’ – a visual depiction of plastic pollution.

The term plastic pollution is oftentimes used when referring to the accumulation of plastic in an environment. Throughout the years, the unrestricted accumulation of plastic products has negatively affected wildlife and humans – especially through single-use plastic. Single-use plastic is made from fossil-fuel based chemicals, and it is meant to be disposed of immediately after it’s first use – frequently used in straws, packaging, bottles, and bags.

With the topic surrounding the impact which plastic has on our environment being around for a while, countries are now just beginning to see the seriousness. Worldwide, 500 billion plastic bags are used a year, and the worlds beaches are polluted by 8.3 billion plastic straws. It is estimated that in 2020, more plastic will be found in the ocean than fish.

Through the photo series, “Trash”, Volobueva visually shares her worry about consumerism and the excessive use of plastic. The visual call-to-action should motivate the viewer to see the human’s impact on the environment through plastic pollution.

My AI experimentation inspired by Volobueva:

This photoshoot is of bunkers from WW2 and the area around them. This was a small photoshoot as I was restricted to only one area. However, I think the few photographs that I took turned out well. I think the natural sunlight worked in my favour, highlighting the different colours and textures. Also, the angles I used made me able to capture different sides and view of the bunkers.

Some final images:

I think this one is the best one from the shoot as there are different bright colours surrounding the grey, mouldy bunker. I also like how the bunker is in the middle of the image drawing your attention to it.

For this photoshoot, I went up to Les Quennevais cycle track as it is surrounded by a forest area, in which, a lot of the trees and nature was ruined in the storm. These photos show the damage that is still there after all these months since the disaster happened. I managed to capture photos of fallen trees, trees that had been ripped out of the soil, fallen branches/trunks that have now been cut up.

These are a few of the outcomes from the photoshoot. I really liked how I was able to capture, in different ways, how the environment was left in such a devastating way. I think that the leaves and branches intertwined with themselves and other trees’ parts, portrays how much is going on in just one area secluded area.

Mandy Barker Inspired

My Strongest image selection:

For these images, I have laid them in a grid format to present them all together as I feel as though when presented next to each other, it it more eye-catching rather than one alone. This way, the bright colours also draw attention to themselves especially against the black background. When editing these images, I cropped them into a square to get a closer look and remove some negative space and then I adjusted the exposure and contrast to make sure the background was all dark and that only the individual pieces of litter were the focal points.

A closer composition:

Editing in the style of Vince Brun:

My closer compositions provided more of an abstract outcome which I am going to experiment with further. I intend to use the style of Vince Brun’s creative mirror images to inspire the development of my own photos:

For my first edit, I used a cropped close up image of the rope and extended the layer to be able to copy the image and duplicate it to then flip it horizontally and move beside the first one. Then I did the same thing but flipping it vertically and placed that underneath along with the final duplicate to complete the square. My first attempt:

My first attempt turned out well, however I found that there was too much negative space and wanted to try to enclose the area. So I then cropped the original photo even closer and then repeated the process.

I found that this worked a lot better as it is more abstract and appealing to the eye. Also, the lines and curves of the ropes all lead to the centre of the image For the future photos I them continue ensuring the cropped image didn’t have too much negative space to start off with.

Idea 1

My first photoshoot is going to be inspired by Chris Jordan’s work which show the mass consumerism and how that is effecting our world. I have chosen Chris Jordan as I like how his work reflects the raw truth by taking slightly disturbing photos. As I won’t be able to capture photographs very similar, I am going to use the littering aspect of his photographs. The places I am going to take photos are:

• St. Helier Town
• Havre Des Pas beach
• Alongside roads
• Fields

I am going to be taking photos of the amount of litter that I find in those places and collect it in a bag to try different ways of capturing it as a whole and then properly dispose of it in a bin. I am going to try to capture the images in a way that the rubbish is the main focus and by the end of it I will group the images together to highlight the extent of this problem.

Idea 2

For my second photo shoot I am going to do a photoshoot of the storm damage that Jersey faced after the extreme storm flew through the island. I am going to focus on the trees and nature that was destroyed during this time by the tornado. This will show how the extreme weather we faced, caused by climate change from society, led us to this disaster.

I will go around parts of the island looking for the environment that had been disturbed. The main theme will mostly be the environment, however I may take some photos of the buildings around as well as I think it will help to show the intensity of this storm and other effects of climate change.

I have taken some inspiration from George Marazakis as his images capture a different element of world pollution and ignorance. My idea links to him as the storm/tornado we faced is an example of extreme weather which is caused by humans. Some of Marazakis’ work that inspired me:

Idea 3

Mandy Barker Inspired

For this photoshoot, I am taking inspiration from Mandy Barker’s work on plastic pollution. I am going to collect litter I find around town, schools, the beach etc. to photograph against a black background. I will use different types of litter such and bottles, wrappers and anything I find that has been abandoned in the environment.

When taking the photos, I will have the pieces of litter placed on a studio table surrounded by black to ensure the background in only black. I will also use studio lights above to highlight the rubbish and show the contrast of colour in comparison.

Idea 4

I would like to take photographs of buildings that have left an impact on the world, preferably old ones with history behind them. I am aiming to take some of WW2 bunkers as they are significant to people and have connotations of the war. They have been here for many years now and still have an imprint on the world even so long after the war.

Mandy Barker is a British photographer, who is mostly known for her work with plastic and litter from the ocean. She has also worked with scientists to try and attract attention and awareness to the extremely large amount of plastic that ends up in the sea.

When taking her photos, she uses artificial lighting to focus on one piece of litter per image, ensuring that it is the one and only focal point. The image become abstract, colourful and textured. Your eye is drawn to each one, wondering what it is against the stark black background. She captures them in a way that they look like they are still floating around in the ocean pointlessly. The black, negative space frames each item and creates an endless background. It also allows the vibrant colours to stand out, enhancing their artificial characteristic.

“On first impression these images are strikingly beautiful; saturated rainbow bits of colour organised into decorative ensembles. Clearly this is a construct to deceive the viewer, was that your original intention setting out? Or how did your ideas evolve?“

Mandy Baker’s deliberate placement of the garbage, transforms it into something beautiful. Sometimes the patterns are geometric, and other times their placement looks more organic, like planets floating in an endless universe. Plastics never decompose but biodegrade into smaller fragments. The explosion of plastic in her images, exaggerate this notion.

My intention aesthetically was for Barker to attract people to the image and for them to question what it represented. In recognising that what they were looking at was their own waste collected from our ocean, viewers would have a more lasting impact and message of awareness.