What are the differences between photographs that are WINDOWS and MIRRORS?

“Mirrors” are photographs through which a photographer is trying to tell us how he feels about himself. “Windows” are those in which he is trying to tell us how he feels about the world. Although both are expressive, they can be subjective due to the fact a photo can be both. “Mirrors” were images meant to mirror the photographer’s own sensibility. “Windows” were photos meant to act as a window for the viewer to see something that is primarily factual and external to the photographer’s own sensibility. Keep in mind that Szarkowski stressed this was not a very strict dichotomy.

In metaphorical terms, the photograph is seen either as a mirror – a romantic expression of the photographer’s sensibility as it projects itself on the things and sights of this world; or as a window – through which the exterior world is explored in all its presence and reality.”

The exhibition Mirrors and Windows, an exhibition of American photography since 1960, opened at The Museum of Modern Art, New York in July of 1978. The curator John Szarkowski’s attempted to categorise photographers whose work largely reflected the subjectivity of the artist in comparison with those whose work largely sought to see outside themselves. Szarkowski wrote in the catalogue essay that accompanied the exhibition:

 “The distance between them is to be measured not in terms of the relative force or originality of their work, but in terms of their conceptions of what a photograph is: is it a mirror, reflecting a portrait of the artist who made it, or a window, through which one might better know the world?” 
— John Szarkowski, 1978

This quote explains the difference between mirrors and windows, but also states that there is a range of where they can be within mirrors and windows. In fact, an image can be both and it is not a strict dichotomy.

Eugene Atget 1898

Nan Goldin – Nan and Brian in bed, NYC. 1983

I would personally place this images within this range;

For the ‘ window’ image, I personally would say it fits more of a window, as the image is of street musicians in 1898. This image does not link to the photographer, instead the photographer is making the image about what he can see, rather than what is behind the camera. I would say it documents, is real, public and objective. However, for the ‘ Mirrors’ image, I would personally say it fits more of the mirrors side, as it is an image of the artist himself, and another. Its very personal due to them being in bed and shows who they are through expressions such as smoking and lying in bed. It is very subjective as it is showing a lifestyle, and everyone’s life style is different. Whereas, in contrast to windows which is very objective and documentary.

Photography was invented by Frenchman Nicéphore Niépce in 1822. Niépce developed a technique called heliography, which he used to create the world’s oldest surviving photograph, View from the Window at Le Gras (1827). Heliography was conceived in response to camera obscura theories dating back to ancient history.

Camera Obscura & Pinhole photography

Camera obscura was an optical phenomenon which was created to project images from the outside into a dark room. By completely darkening a room apart from a small hole in the wall allows rays of light to enter, letting the outside world pour in. This process takes around an hour and projects an upside down image into the dark room. This process is admitted for being all natural, deep and primitive as it uses old historical technology instead of new and upcoming tech. After being used for many centuries, camera obscura was developed by using different camera filter and adjustments to make images stronger and clearer. Pinhole photography is a similar process which uses a tiny hole in a camera to allow light to come in. This creates an image onto photosensitive material. As light hits material such as photographic film or paper the inverted image is created, with a long exposure time of around several seconds to minutes, the small hole incision only lets a small amount of light through which makes it very unsuitable for fast- moving objects. However, due to the fact it it’s simple, accessible and inexpensive with a unique looking vignette, the style of photography became increasingly popular.

Nicéphore Niépce and Heliography

Niépce called his process heliography, which literally means “sun drawing”. 7 March 1765 – 5 July 1833) He was a French inventor and one of the earliest pioneers of photography. In 1822, he used it to create what is believed to have been the world’s first permanent photographic image, a contact-exposed copy of an engraving of Pope Pius VII, but it was later destroyed when Niépce attempted to make prints from it. Within the time period of 1826 and 1827, he created the first ever permanent photograph which was named ‘View from the Window at Le Gras’. This introduced the process of Heliography. This process he created consists of the sun reflecting its light to create images. To achieve this he used a pewter plate which was covered with Bitumen of Judea which is a light sensitive substance. This substance hardens when it is exposed to light. The process takes up to eight hours and this time period is essential as the sensitivity of materials was much lower than modern materials. The plate is then needed to be washed with a solvent, this removes the Bitumen of Judea and leaves a permanent image. This process was particularly essential to the development of photography. In the mid-1820s, he used a primitive camera to produce the oldest surviving photograph in a real world scene.

Louis Daguerre & Daguerreotype

Louis Daguerre was a French artist and photographer, recognized for his invention of the daguerreotype process of photography. He became known as one of the fathers of photography. This method preserving images and capturing them was a huge historical moment and made a large breakthrough. The daguerreotype is made by after capturing the image exposing it to mercury vapour which brings the visible image to life. The image also then needs to be rid of any unexposed silver iodide. This is achieved by completely covering the image in a salt or sodium thiosulfate solution. These images are very reflective and change when exposed to different angles of view. Daguerreotypes are also very detailed and clear which makes them stand out amongst other images from around the 1840s and 1850s. Louis decided to create the daguerreotype as he knew the world was seeking a photographic process which was easier to put into practice, since exposure times were only of a few minutes. So by creating his own process of photography, he became very successful and made Louis Daguerre world famous.

Henry Fox Talbot & Calotype

Henry Fox Talbert is very well known for being a successful pioneer of photography, scientist and inventor. Amongst his other successes he created a method of photography by using a ‘calotype’ which is a negative-positive process which is also known as the ‘paper negative’. He created images when exposed to light, these images were easy to produce and easy to distribute. However, they faced many drawbacks such as the people in the photos looking ‘on the edge of being present’ and seen as looking not quite alive due to a low sharpness and graininess, this caused a loss of fine detail. However, these images were popular as they captured a moment in time, fixed into place which was profitable and popular at this time. He used different light sensitive chemicals and salts such as silver nitrate and silver chloride. The original negative and positive process invented by William Henry Fox Talbot, the calotype is sometimes called a “Talbotype.” This process uses a paper negative to make a print with a softer, less sharp image than the daguerreotype, but because a negative is produced, it is possible to make multiple copies. The image is contained in the fabric of the paper rather than on the surface, so the paper fibers tend to show through on the prints. The process was superceded in the 1850s by the collodion glass negative. Because of Talbot’s patent rights, relatively few calotypes were made in the United States.

Richard Maddox

Richard Leach Maddox (4 August 1816 – 11 May 1902) was an English photographer and physician who invented lightweight gelatin negative dry plates for photography in 1871.

In photography, the Collodion process was invented in 1851 by Frederick Scott Archer. This invention required only two to three seconds of light exposure to produce an image, but plates had to be sensitized at the time of exposure, exposed while the emulsion was still wet, and processed immediately after exposure in the camera.

When he noticed that his health was being affected by the ‘wet’ collodion’s ethervapor, Maddox began looking for a substitute. Richard Leach Maddox, M.D., photography was given an early impetus to become a disseminator of medical knowledge. His interest in the camera, combined with his poor health and his medical training, enabled him to invent the gelatin bromide negative that is the backbone of today’s photographic film.

Dr. Richard Maddox created a dry plate technique that allowed photographers to develop photographs without using the wet methods of the collodion process. This technique involved using gelatin instead of glass to make photographic negative. The dry plate process quickly replaced the wet plate collodion process that required the mixing of dangerous chemicals and immediate exposure of the wet plate.

George Eastman

George Eastman was an American entrepreneur who founded the Eastman Kodak Company and helped to bring the photographic use of roll film into the mainstream.

George Eastman changed the world through his entrepreneurial spirit, bold leadership, and extraordinary vision. He will be remembered throughout history for founding the Eastman Kodak Company and revolutionizing the photography, film, and motion picture industries. The first successful roll-film hand camera, the Kodak, was launched publicly in the summer of 1888. Inventor George Eastman received a patent (number 388,850) for the camera’s shutter and the trademark (number 15,825) for the Kodak name on September 4, 1888. In the 1880s, Eastman developed a convenient method of preparing ready-to-use plates. Improvements led to flexible, roll film as well as photo processing and printing done by mail order. Millions of people worldwide captured memories using cameras and film, leaving all the chemistry to Kodak.

Kodak (Brownie)

The Brownie helped to put photography into the hands of amateurs and allowed the middle class to take their own “snapshots” as well. Eastman Kodak introduced the new Brownie dollar box camera in 1900; the release was supported by a major advertising campaign.

The Brownie was a series of camera models made by Eastman Kodak and first released in 1900.

It introduced the snapshot to the masses by addressing the cost factor which had meant that amateur photography remained beyond the means of many people; the Pocket Kodak, for example, would cost most families in Britain nearly a whole month’s wages.

The Brownie was a basic cardboard box camera with a simple convex concave lens that took 2+¹⁄₄-inch square pictures on No. 117 roll film. It was conceived and marketed for sales of Kodak roll films. Because of its simple controls and initial price of US$1 (equivalent to $37 in 2023) along with the low price of Kodak roll film and processing, the Brownie camera surpassed its marketing goal.

Film/ Print Photography

The first flexible photographic roll film was sold by George Eastman in 1885, but this original “film” was actually a coating on a paper base. As part of the processing, the image-bearing layer was stripped from the paper and attached to a sheet of hardened clear gelatin. Once the film is processed, it is then referred to as a negative. The negative may now be printed; the negative is placed in an enlarger and projected onto a sheet of photographic paper. Many different techniques can be used during the enlargement process. Two examples of enlargement techniques are dodging and burning. The first film that was in a roll and flexible was made by George Eastman in but it wasn’t synthetic but on paper. Photographic film is a material used in photographic cameras to record images. It is made of transparent plastic in a shape of a strip or sheet, and it has one side covered with light-sensitive silver halide crystals made into a gelatinous emulsion. When a photographic film is exposed to light by a photographic camera, it chemically changes depending on the amount of light absorbed by each crystal. These changes create an invisible latent image in the emulsion, which is then fixed and developed into a visible photograph. Black and white photographic films have one layer of silver halide crystals, while the color film has three layers, each sensitive to a different color. Some color films have even more layers.

Digital Photography

The history of digital photography began in the 1950s. In 1951, the first digital signals were saved to magnetic tape via the first video tape recorder. Six years later, in 1957, the first digital image was produced through a computer by Russell Kirsch. It was an image of his son. The photography changed from film to digital in the 1990’s. The early 1990s brought a dramatic change with the advent of digital technology. Instead of using grains of silver embedded in gelatin, digital photography uses silicon to record images as numbers. Computers process the images, rather than optical enlargers and tanks of often toxic chemicals.

Manufactured by Kodak, the QuickTake was the first color digital camera for under $1,000.

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-

Contact sheet- Flagged

Edit 1-

Using colour: Matte and high grain.

Edit 2-

Edit 3-

Edit 4-

Edit 5-

Edit 6-

Edit 7-

Edit 8-

Edit 9-

Using heavy grain and black and white punch filter.

Edit 10-

Edit 11-

Edit 12-

Using matte filter in colour and heavy grain to make the image have an older aesthetic.

Edit 13-

Edit 14-

Experimenting with colour: High contrast and detail.

Edit 15-

Using colour: vivid and heavy grain.

Edit 16-

Edit 17-

Edit 18-

Adding sepia tone and the heavy grain from the grain selection.

Edit 19-

Using colour: Vivid

Edit 20-

Edit 21-

Mood board–

Ship building only became a serious business in the islands in the late 18th century with the requirement to build ships larger than fishing boats allowing Jersey merchants to take part in the Atlantic carrying trade. Between 1760 and 1815 Great Britain was at war for 36 years, which affected the maritime trade, causing dangers and opening possibilities of profit.

Late Modern: This period covers the rise of the British Empire into the Victorian era, through the First World War and then the Second World War. This saw the introduction of iron ships, steam, then oil powered ships.

A Guernsey merchant William Le Lacheur formed a company in the 1830s and operated ships, and set up a new trade with Costa Rica to bring their coffee to Europe.

Both St Peter Port and St Helier harbours were proving too small for the larger ships and increasing tonnages, with both drying out at low tide. Jersey added a few piers to its harbour. St Peter Port was extended by 1864 to allow ships to berth at any state of the tide. Secondary harbours at Saint Sampson, Guernsey and Saint Aubin, Jersey provided limited facilities.

Since the war, fishing has been reduced, with lobsters and crabs becoming the main catch in the islands with an annual value of around £10m in 1995.^[6]: 135 Private boating has increased with the construction of marinas. Freighting changing from loose and pallets to containers with Ro-Ro for vehicles. 

 By the 1850s Jersey had 300-400 ships with a tonnage of over 40,000.

St Aubin was the main harbour for Jersey merchants before St Helier became the central maritime hub. St Helier harbours were proving too small for the larger ships and increasing tonnages, with both drying out at low tide. Jersey added a few piers to its harbour, such as Victoria and Albert Piers.

World Wars I and II. The First World War saw island shipping used for the war effort. The peace then saw a demand from visitors for transport with in boom in tourism. The islands were occupied by the Germans during the Second World War, and most island-based ships went to England in June 1940. Initially a number of fishing and private boats, then later smaller craft, made the perilous journey with over 200 escaping islanders. Not all survived: some were captured or shot, others drowned.

Since the war, fishing has been reduced, with lobsters and crabs becoming the main catch in the islands with an annual value of around £10m in 1995. Private boating has increased with the construction of marinas. Freighting changing from loose and pallets to containers with Ro-Ro for vehicles. Hydrofoils and then catamarans and wave piercers appeared as fast passenger ships.

Today, Ports of Jersey operates all entry and exit points to the island, including harbours and airport. They have plans to re-develop St Helier Harbour into a modern commercial maritime hub.

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

The merchant network operated with ownership and management in Jersey, producing of codfish in Canada and markets in the Caribbean, South America, Mediterranean and the Baltic. 

1497 Newfoundland discovered

1792 Former Wool merchant, Philip Nicolle, enters the Newfoundland trade in cod. In 1821 he owned fishing posts and 5 ships; in 1828 he owned 18 ships and added banking to his interests. The effect on trade of the American Civil War was said to have caused this firm to withdraw in 1863 from banking and from most of their fisheries.

1766-1842 Jersey profited by the British conquests in Canada. It almost transformed the Gaspé coast between these years into a Jersey colony.

1950s Clement and Company becomes the last Jersey company trading in Newfoundland cod.

Channel Island fishermen were among this and by the 1750s they had set up lucrative trade routes between Canada, Europe and America, establishing bases on the Gaspé Coast where they could salt and prepare the cod. 

For some early settlers, life in Canada was a move to prosperity and business success – an escape from problems back home to a new land of opportunity. 

But for others, life in Gaspé in the 17th and 18th century was one of debt and eventually  bankruptcy in a harsh climate thousands of miles from home. 

The Jersey communities fitted in well in Gaspé, and despite the fact they were a minority, speaking Jersey-French in their communities and businesses, they were the economic giants of the area. 

One of the biggest companies on the Gaspé coast was operated by Charles Robin, a Jersey merchant, who set up a fishing post at Paspebiac in 1767 after Canada passed to the English.

Although Robin was forced back to Jersey at the onset of the American Revolution, he returned in 1783 and took advantage of the lack of competition to set up a fishing monopoly. 

In 1802, Robin retired to Jersey, where he died in 1824, but he had trained his nephews Philip and James to take over the company. 

Which ports did Jersey ships sail to and trade with?

Jersey has been an island for approximately 8,000 years: therefore, apart from the last 60 years, the only way for people to come to or leave the island has been by sea. Over the centuries the way in which boats have been powered has changed – muscle power, wind power, steam power and now diesel power.

During the Roman period there was an established trade route between Alet (St Servan) and Hengistbury Head in Dorset. Guernsey was the favoured stop off point, because of the natural deep water harbour at St Peter Port, although these boats undoubtedly called in to Jersey as well.

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

Jersey cod-merchants exported cod-fish to British colonies in the West Indies and later Brazil too in exchange for plantation goods, such as sugar, molasses, rum, cotton, coffee and tobacco which it brought to markets in America, Europe and the UK (Inc. Jersey).

To what extend, 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)?

 By the 1770s there may have been up to 70 Jersey ships and 2,000 Jerseymen engaged in the cod trade. By the 1840s it is estimated that the industry directly employed 4,000 people. Also, many others were engaged in manufacturing goods to be exported to the Canadian settlements.

However, Jersey was not without internal troubles notwithstanding increased prosperity. Both war and poor harvests led to increases in corn prices of such magnitudes that the poor were unable to feed themselves. Matters reached a head in 1769 when wealthy mill owners tried selling the little corn there was at very high prices to France, causing some local people to riot. The rioters went on to demand changes to the Island government which resulted in the Code of 1771, giving more power to the States Assembly.

What was the link with Jersey cod and the slave trade?

Jersey as an island made a fortune from the Newfoundland Cod Fisheries throughout the slave trade with cod being salted and dried then shipped to the Caribbean and used to feed enslaved people.

Was the Jersey Channel Islands involved in the slave trade?

“While Jersey was not a major centre of slave trading, such as Bristol or Liverpool, the Island was part of a global network of trade in slave-produced goods, such as sugar, coffee, cotton, tobacco and, most significantly, mahogany.

Cod and North America

The Channel Island fishing industry took to the opportunities offered with the opening up of the Grand Banks fisheries. Cod was valuable and from 1763 when Quebec was ceded to the British, colonies were founded by both Jersey and Guernsey in Newfoundland. The people in each colony undertook the fishing and drying, waiting for the company ship to arrive with trade goods they could exchange for the fish. Barrels of dried cod, 1,000-2,000 quintals a year, each weighing roughly 50 kg, being exported by ship to the Caribbean or western Europe. Sometimes there was a three-way trade with ships returning to the Channel Islands where the ship chandlers and merchants benefited.

The American war of independence saw the Guernsey fishing colony fade away as more profitable opportunities opened up, privateering. Jersey continued with the cod trade, in 1840 the Chamber of Commerce estimated the Island had 4,000 people and 8,000 tons of shipping employed in the industry.

The industry continued often using a triangle of fish to Spain, goods from Spain to the Islands and more goods to Newfoundland or cod to Brazil, coffee to Amsterdam and goods back to Canada. The cod monopoly ceased and died as a trade by 1886.

Experiment 1 process

Choosing my layout:

Experimenting with boarders and drop shadows

Evaluation and critique-

Overall, this is my most preferred image as with my 2nd and 3rd experiments I felt as if there was too much going on with the background and distracted the eye. I think it is clear and efficient but also has some detail and interesting factors such as the drop shadows and boarders. What I personally think is a possibility of improving is by potentially adding adding boarders to each image to make it look tidier. All the images I chose personally work well together as they all show an element of a certain relationship within my street photography which ultimately links to the ‘ decisive moment’. I think these specific images show what you would not take notice of on a daily basis but is a very positive element to life.

Experiment 2 process

Choosing layout process-

Adding a background to add texture-

Evaluation and critique-

Personally, I do not like this as much as my 1st one due to the fact I think there is too much going on within the background and the writing over the image distracts the importance of each image. However, I think it adds detail and a variety too each image. As shown, there is one image with a border which I personally like, however I would like them in all of my images but without the background so there isn’t too much going on and to keep it simple. I personally, don’t like the white writing over an image because it looks messy and not tidy. Although I will not be using this one, the experiments shown me what I prefer and what to do for my final outcome.

Experiment 3 process

Original – Portrait

Original – Portrait

Original – Landscape

Original – Portrait

Square–

Original- landscape

Original- Portrait

Circle 1-

Merged/ experimentation

Contact sheet-

Immediately, I began by going through my images and rating them followed by rejecting and flagging each image. After I executed that, I then continued it by putting them in order of colour within the range of how much I prefer and like them. This makes it a lot more time efficient and manageable when it comes to editing as I now know what I am going to edit and what I am not.

My flagged and green images unedited

Editing these images in lightroom

I decided to keep this image in colour, rather than black and white because I think the two buildings in contrast of colour is an important factor within this image, essentially bright vs dark. The subject is the women and considering she is right in the centre rather than one or the other creates a creative factor. This photo had to be in colour as it could make every viewer individually have a different approach and perspective on it if it was looked into on a deeper level. Another factor is the red ball on the darker side which leaves a sense of curiosity on why it is there or whether the women was related to it and if she is walking towards it. Therefore, colour was needed to emphasize my thoughts on this image itself.

Within this image, I used the rule of thirds to make sure the subject aka the woman was in the very centre of the image and the buildings were equally on each side. I personally thought this image was eye catching due to the fact it gives off the effect of tunnel vision in-between the two buildings where the woman is standing. This draws you’re attention to the centre of the image as it shows far away. This demonstrates a factor of mystery. I decided to experiment by putting my photo in black and white to create a variety within my photographs and as it is in the historical Royal Square famous from WW2, therefore I decided to continue the vintage and old aesthetic due to context.

I experimenting this image in black and white and colour, but personally I preferred the in colour image. This is due to the fact there is a lot of contrasting factors. I think the vibrant royal blue chairs definitely add a lot to the image as it is contrasting with the tapestry and the black building. The interesting factor is that this image contains cool and warm tones that significantly contrast. Another big factor is that it contains every day scenes and scenarios. Such as the singular woman on her phone vs plural women talking with drinks. This is useful as I had to wait for the ‘ Decisive moment’ without asking them therefore the ‘ posing’ is not staged and is completely real. This is useful in this image as the people are not adjusting there behaviours as they are unaware of this image being taken. This is significant as people are definitely what make an image in street photography.

This image is definitely my personal favourite outcome within this photoshoot, I like it the most because it involves many people doing a variety of things. The man on the phone is definitely my favourite touch to this image which I had to wait for the right moment to include this. I edited this image to create more warm tones rather than cool to highlight the vintage aesthetic and just to make the image more appealing. The top bit of the images exposure is slightly too high, however this could be an advantage as it keeps the viewers eyes focused on the main subject; the restaurant and the people surrounding to make the image.

I again, experimented with black and white however I realised I actually preferred it in black and white. This photo is definitely the ‘ decisive moment’ due to the fact it is 5 people I assume accidently meeting. Because there is a variety of different people, you can see the different identity’s and personalities through their mannerisms and clothing. This image definitely would not be as significant without these factors. Another factor I thought added to this image is the geometry and lines surrounding the main subject; the people. Lastly, the reflection within the lining of the building behind them creates this image to be less dull and more eye catching. The reflection is so clear that you can see what the camera cannot. This highlights a sense of mystery with a slight peep. Where I am standing it is beneficial as you cannot see the back of the people instead you can see what the viewer would not guess to see or can see already. The Jersey flags with square shapes add significance to the image through conveying the heritage of Jersey. Also making sure the sky is not overly exposed because of the observance of the flags and shapes make the image less dull.

I like this image because it is very simple, I put it in a slower shutter speed to create variety and show the moment more. There isn’t much going on this image however that is personally what I like about it. There is nothing that draws the attention away of the main subject; the people. I believe people are definitely what makes ‘ street photography’. I think their behaviour and mannerisms look completely natural and realistic as I did not have to ask them to adjust their posing. This makes it completely natural and they show a sense of love and fun. This image I personally think has a very warm feeling to it which is the best feature as there is nothing in the surroundings to draw that away.

I love this image as there is a sense of love but also mystery, the mannerisms the viewers can see from the back tells us a lot about the image; the arm placements. The mysterious factor comes from the fact it is taken from behind the main subject, rather than in front. I increased the shadows to decrease the visibility inside the shops to make sure there was nothing too eye catching that drew the attention away from them. I originally put it in black and white and worked from there, however I thought it looked slightly dull so I experimented with a filter to see the difference and preferred it. The geometry and lines in the top of the image through the windows, creates different shapes and variety, specifically rectangles with visibility in the reflection. This slightly links to Bresson’s work as he often brings in surroundings especially reflections.

This image is by far my favourite out of the whole photoshoot, this is because it is showing 2 people sat down assumedly representing love, and separately it shows motherhood. This shows a variety of different types of love. I put it in a fast shutter speed which you can tell through her skirt as it is focused and very clear. The tree shows a sense of natural environment rather than man made features like my other photos. The filter I put on after I had already edited my image in black and white completely added to this image and made it 10 x more eye catching. I think it has a variety of elements which differentiates this image to others.

Instantly, it is clear my camera settings were in a slightly low shutter speed through the van, as it is moving we can see that through the fact it isn’t completely still and is slightly blurry. I decided to add warmer tones to differentiate it to the rest of my images, and slightly make a vintage aesthetic. The main feature that makes this image is the van and the people walking as it is definitely representing the ‘ decisive moment’.

Virtual Gallery-

I chose all these images specifically, due to the fact they all have one factor and meaning but in a variety of ways. Each photo shows a different relationship; yet every photo has an element of love. For example, a mother and child, wife and husband, acquaintances, and friendship. These are my favourite as you do not take notice of these things on an everyday basis. To take photos of these you really do have to find the ‘ right/decisive moment.’ I have chosen these images as my virtual gallery because of this element to it, and I believe people are a massive part in street photography which really brings it together.

Further experimentation