We are going on a photography trip and during this trip we will be doing 2 photoshoots, one at the Old English and French Harbours and the other at Albert Pier. During these photoshoots, I am going to photograph the harbour to show how it has changed over time. I am also going to find some old images of the area and try to recreate them, showing the new surroundings.
St Helier Harbour is the main Harbour of Jersey and it is located on the south coast. Here are some maps of St Helier Harbour showing how it has developed over time:
St Helier Harbour in 1790, consisting of one small pier, also known as the Old English and French Harbour.
1834 map, including New North Quay Pier.
1898, Albert Pier and Victoria Pier were built.
Current Map
Development of St Helier Harbour
The Old English and French Harbours were the first parts of St Helier Harbour. The Old Harbour originally consisted of just a jetty until it was upgraded with a new breakwater in 1790, New North Quay.
Coal Delivery on New North Quay
In 1814, the merchants constructed roads to connect the harbour to town. These roads are now known as Commercial Buildings and Le Quai des Marchands. The Old Harbour also includes South Pier and the abandoned pub, La Folie Inn.
La Folie Inn
Due to the growth in Jersey’s fishing fleet, work commenced on the new South Pier in 1841, which was later named Victoria Pier, following Queen Victoria’s visit to the Island. This pier was completed in 1846 and it now is home to fish wholesalers such as Fresh Fish Company and Aquamarine Fisheries.
The following year, they had began work on Albert Pier.
Albert Pier
Albert Pier was originally a ferry terminal due to its deep water berths, however, it has now been re-developed to berths for large vessels and yachts and the ferry terminal is now located at Elizabeth Harbour. This Harbour was constructed in the late 1980s on reclaimed land and the terminal was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on the 25th of May 1989.
Elizabeth Harbour Terminal and trailer park
There are now three main Marinas at St Helier Harbour:
La Colette Yacht Basin
La Colette Marina
This Marina is home to Jersey’s commercial fishing fleet and it is the only one of the three marinas to provide non-tidal, 24-hour access to the sea.
St Helier Marina
St Helier Marina in 2012
St Helier Marina, constructed in 1980, is mostly used for berthing private yachts. To the west of this Marina is Albert Pier and to the East is New North Way, home to Jersey’s Maritime Museum.
Jersey’s Maritime Museum and St Helier Marina.
This Marina has been the venue for the annual Jersey Boat Show since 2008.
Elizabeth Marina
Elizabeth Marina
Elizabeth Marina is the newest of Jersey’s Marinas. Work began to construct this Marina in 1996 and it was completed 2 years later. This Marina has 600 berths and was constructed on reclaimed land. This area also includes Jardins de la Mer, La Frigate Cafe, the Waterfront Car Park, the Radisson Blu Hotel, Castle Quay and a Leisure and Pool complex.
The Channel Islands consist of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark and some smaller islands which were all separated from mainland Europe as a result of the rising sea levels during the Neolithic period. Following this event, maritime activity commenced due to islanders wanting to earn money through trade and investing capital in maritime business. From the 15th to late 18th centuries, trading became more popular due to the technical improvements of ships and navigation, allowing people to sail for days on end. This increase in trade lasted up until the Napoleonic Wars.
The Merchant Triangle, also known as the Atlantic trade
Through trading, the Channel Islands were given concessions such as dried cod from Newfoundland and Gaspe coast, cloth, wine, wool, leather and household goods. After the opening of Grand Bank fisheries, one of the World’s richest fishing grounds (located South of Newfoundland), Jersey and Guernsey formed colonies which would catch fish and dry them. Cod was very valuable at this time and they would exchange this fish in the West Indies and later Brazil too for plantation goods such as sugar, molasses, rum, cotton, coffee and tobacco.
Map of Canada Atlantic provinces, including Newfoundland and Gaspe coast.
Charles Robin
Charles Robin, one of Jersey’s premier cod-merchants, founded the Charles Robin Company in 1766. This was a company based in Gaspe where they produced and sold cod. Robin produced 2 different types of salted cod, green and yellow. Green cod was wet salted cod which was not dry-cured and yellow had been dry cured. Robin would often sell his green cod in markets in the Caribbean or North East Brazil as it had a shorter shelf-life than yellow cod. In exchange for the green cod, Robin would receive plantation goods which he then would trade in the Mediterranean, England and Jersey. For yellow cod, Charles Robin would sell it in markets in Europe, mainly Portugal, Spain and Italy as they had Large Roman Catholic populations. At this time, Roman Catholics had a high demand for fish due to them only eating fish for the day each Friday. This cod-fish was traded for products such as wine, fruits, spirits, spices and salt (used in the curing process). They then brought these goods to Jersey and British ports before returning to Canada.
Charles Robin Company headquarters in Gaspe, now a museum
Overall, the Island benefitted from the profits made in the British Empire at this time, which were highly built on the slave trade during the Industrial Revolution. This is due to slaves being the ones who would farm the goods to be traded. Additionally, there is evidence that ships would leave St Helier Harbour with supplies to be taken to slave stations in West Africa. An example is Cape Cod Castle on the Gold Coast of Ghana. This was a fort which was highly involved in the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
After being introduced to InDesign in class, I played around with the tools to become familiar with the Software and this is what I created. As you can see, I have inserted some random images. These images won’t be the selection that I will use for my final design, I just used them to learn how to add images and move them around.
These are some other layouts which I came up with and, as you can see, I have decided to go for the title ‘Within the Walls’. Another good title would be ‘St Malo through Phone’ as I took these images using my iPhone as it is more distinct, however, I think this title would be informal and doesn’t look as good.
I then added some placeholder text in the areas which I am planning on putting text within my Page Spreads.
I also added the French flag behind one of my layouts by using coloured shapes and sending them to the back.
Another layout option which I tried was to have an image behind the text. I inserted this image like I would any other then moved it to back and lowered the transparency to 24%.
I also added some borders around my images which are the colour of the French flag as it is much more minimal than having it as the entire background. I did this by making the edges of the images have a 3pt border then colouring the borders to be like the French flag.
I designed another layout with some more smaller images, rather than having a clear establishing shot. This will allow me to display more of my images and works better for my images as the majority of them are vertical.
After this, I added images to one of my design layouts, as seen below:
Here is my reasonings for each of the images’ positions:
I also tried this same layout in B&W to see what I think would look best:
I have decided that I am going to keep the images in colour as I believe that it is more pleasing to the eye and St Malo is a very colourful place so it represents it well.
After this, I put an image of a woman eating ice cream behind the text to see how it would look, however, I think that it just looks a bit messy.
Here is another image layout which I have created:
I made this page spread monochrome by exporting it and putting it into Lightroom, rather than using B&W images.
Once again, I think that I prefer in colour as it strips the character from the images when in B&W.
These are the 2 layouts for me to choose between:
I have decided to go for the second layout as I think it is a better way of positioning the text and will allow me to write 2 separate paragraphs on different topics, rather than one big one. One the other hand, there are some images which I don’t think quite fit with the rest, therefore I am going to change them.
I have swapped the image with the church to the one where the man is walking past the 2 ladies sipping their drinks. I prefer this layout much more now compared to how it was before and I think that this image is a better representation of the decisive moment.
I then made another change to my images as I thought the image of the woman eating the ice cream didn’t really fit in so I replaced it with the image of the man cycling and replaced that image with people walking their dogs. I strategically placed these images here as they draw your eyes into the page spread.
This is the text I would like to add to my page spread:
1st text box:
Saint Malo is a historic walled city on the coast of Brittany, France. The city has a long history of piracy and has been home to numerous sailors and explorers. At the end of World War II, it was set on fire and 80% of it had been destroyed. 680 buildings were demolished at this time, including Saint-Vincent Cathedral, which was under reconstruction for 21 years and completed by the beginning of the 1970s. The reconstruction of this city had begun in 1947 and it is now a popular tourist attraction for its coastal location, distinctive architecture, privateer history and more.
2nd text box:
Packed with French culture and history, the walls of Saint Malo offer many experiences such as shopping in unique French shops, eating at tasteful restaurants, exploring the historic attractions and more. The city is also located on the coast and has beautiful beaches which are known for their large tides. Overall, this city is perfect for those who are eager to create new memories, have a love for history and food and want to explore the French culture.
Here are my layouts with text:
I have decided to go for the first text option as I think that it best fits the boxes I have left for text and also matches the title as they are both serif fonts. I have also put made sure that the text was displayed with my most recent layout. Here is my final result:
Picture stories are a sequence of images that tell a story when displayed together. These types of stories don’t require words to convey the message as the images speak for themselves.
Examples of Picture Stories
Different Types of Images in Picture Stories:
Establishing Shot
Establishing shots are often images which can provide an overview on the topic of the picture story and they are usually displayed larger than the rest of the images. They also may display important locations and details which can be seen in other images to tie them together.
Relationship Shot
Relationship shots are shots which capture the connection between two or more people, objects, animals, etc. An example of a relationship shot could be a couple after their engagement.
Detail Shot
A detail shot is a photograph which clearly focuses on the details and textures of a particular subject. An example of a detail shot could be portrait mode on an iPhone, where the background is blurred and subject clear.
Environmental Portrait
An environmental portrait is a type of image that displays the subject in their usual environment, such as their home or workplace.
Formal Portrait
A formal portrait is a typical portrait of a person where poses and lighting conditions have been carefully arranged to get the best shot.
My plan for this photoshoot is to go on a trip to St Malo and observe and photograph people in attempt to get images which present the decisive moment, inspired by Henri Cartier Bresson.
Contact Sheet/Image Selection
Contact Sheet
Image Selection
I started off selecting my images by colour labelling the ones yellow which I think have good potential.
Selecting Best Images
I then looked through the images I selected and selected the best ones.
Henri Cartier-Bresson was a photographer who is best known for his candid street photography. He was born in Chanteloup, France in 1908 and grew up in a wealthy family. Henri was introduced to the arts early and was initially drawn to painting until he discovered photography. This was where his passion for photography sparked as he believed that it was an extension to drawing. Growing up, Henri went to school not far from Paris then later attended Cambridge to study Literature and Art. Henri was a photographer for over 40 years and travelled the world until he sadly passed in 2004.
About his Work and Career
Henri Cartier Bresson holding his Leica Rangefinder camera
After attending college at Cambridge and being released from the Army, Cartier-Bresson travelled to Africa in 1931 to hunt wild antelope and boar. He soon grew tired of this sport and gave it up as he was never interested in eating the animals. He then began taking photographs of the world around him after receiving a Brownie as a gift. Interestingly, Henri likened photography to hunting as he said “It’s like being a hunter. But some hunters are vegetarians – which is my relationship to photography.” By this, Henri was referring to the fact that he prefers taking shots than actually printing and displaying them. Another way in which these hobbies/proffesions can be similar is the fact that you have to watch and wait patiently in order to get the right shot. Henri Cartier-Bresson became a humanist photographer and is now considered a master of Candid photography as the subject of his work was to capture the movement of people through the world. Upon returning to France later that year, Henri purchased his first Leica Rangefinder camera. At the time, these cameras were revolutionary pieces of equipment in photography and Cartier-Bresson would use these as they were discreet, compact and quiet cameras. This was essential for Henri Cartier-Bresson as he aimed to catch unstaged moments and avoid drawing attention to himself when taking street photographs. Finally, Henri preferred the 50mm lens as the field of view was the most similar to the human eye which could ensure that his images felt natural and immersive to the viewers.
The Decisive Moment
The main component of Henri’s work was the use of the decisive moment. The decisive moment in photography is about intuition, anticipation and the connection with the subject and the environment. The term ‘decisive’ means to make a quick and effective decision which in photography would be the moment you decide to release the shutter to take a photo. By using the decisive moment, Henri Cartier Bresson would ensure that his work was candid and natural. A good example of the use of this moment in Cartier Bresson’s work would be his photograph Behind the Gare Saint Lazare, an image of an unknown man leaping over a puddle.
Image Analysis – Behind the Gare St. Lazare. 1932
This is an image by Henri Cartier Bresson which was taken in 1932 behind the Gare St. Lazare. Train Station. This image represents the decisive moment, which is shown by how the man was captured mid air. Henri used his intuition when taking this image and made the decision to take the photograph at that moment so that he could display the figure jumping. Overall, this image displays a man who seems to be attempting to jump over the large puddle from the ladder on the floor with some other people stood in the background. This image has the use of the rule of thirds as the guy is centred vertically within the last third. The reflection of the fence in this image also aligns with the centre horizontal third. There are also leading lines in this image which lead your gaze towards the man such as the ladder and the fence. In addition, the tower in the background of this photo and the reflection of the man are the two aspects which leak the most into the negative space (the water and sky). This demonstrates balance and allows you to focus on the centre of the image without distraction. Due to this image being in black and white, there is high contrast within the image, specifically between the man’s reflection and the water. By looking at this image, I can tell that it was taken on a somewhat cloudy day with the use of a slow shutter speed as there is slight motion blur from the man. I personally think that this image looks staged, although Henri is trying to capture a candid moment, as the guys looks to be jumping in to the puddle and not over it and you can’t even see the edge of it.
My aim is to create 2 altered landscapes which can be presented together that feature all of the industrial areas in Jersey.
Contact Sheet
(I took these screenshots after doing some experimentation with my images.)
Editing Process
Edit 1
To create my base image, I merged the following:
This is the result:
I opened this image in photoshop and, although I liked the stream, I felt like it wouldn’t have went with the theme I was going for so I used the Content Aware Fill feature to remove it, as well aa the fence, house and building. This was my result:
As you can see, it is not the best standard, however, this floor won’t be seen when the montage is completed. By removing this stream, it gives me a lot more space and opportunity to be able to make this piece even better.
After this, I added my first layer, the quarry. I cropped this part from a different image and pasted it onto this then used the eraser tool to clean it up a bit. I then aligned it where I would like it and lowered the brightness so the colour was more similar. Once I was satisfied with it, I used AI to merge the quarry into the hill and, at first, it created trees so I then told it to remove them.
Next, I cropped out a pile of waste and a pile of gravel which I took at La Collette and aligned them where I would like them. I then decided here that I think it would look good to make the floor of the entire image gravel so I played around a bit with the generative fill until I was happy with it.
I then cropped some cyclinders from Bellozanne and a pile of granite from St Ouen from photos I took and pasted them into my edit. After doing this, I put them where I would like them and slightly distorted the cylinders so they looked more in place.
One I had done this, I tidied up the parts which I cropped then used Generative fill to create tyre tracks in the floor.
Finally, I added the tower from La Collette behind the hill and flipped it horizontally, changed the perspective and skewed it. To finish off, I increased the brightness and this is my finished product:
In B&W:
Edit 2
I have done this edit during our mock exam and during my first few steps the blog was down, therefore, I couldn’t record my progress. This is what I have done so far:
Within this time, I used an image of the dam and added two buildings from Bellozanne on one side and a random ploughed field from St Peters on the other. For the field, I distorted and warped it to match the slope then used AI to make it blend in at the bottom. Finally, I also used AI to remove the building at the bottom of the dam and the flowers which were on the grass.
In addition, I used AI to replace the grass with a road, however, doing this inspired me to try make it a river.
I have played around with AI and made the sides of the river muddy.
After a bit more playing around with generative fill, here is my result:
These images are inspired by the works of George Marazakis and Edward Burtynsky and they display the industrial areas of Jersey and places where the landscape has been highly affected by man. I am going to make my images B&W because I think that it will have more of an industrial effect and less natural due to the lack of greenery.
Contact Sheet
Image Selection
Edits
Edit 1
This is my base image for my first altered landscape:
I continued to edit this image by making it B&W and adjusting the following:
Tanja Deman is a visual artist who was born in Split, Croatia in 1982. She received her BFA and MFA from the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb and has since been included in at least 24 exhibitions, 4 of them being solo and the majority of them being held in Croatia and Austria. Tanja Deman’s art is highly inspired by her interest in architecture, geological formations, the relationship between human and nature and the physical and emotional perceptions of specific spaces. Throughout Tanja’s career, she has produced many series, the ones I am most inspired by include:
Fernweh
Fernweh is a series which explores the extreme contrast and effects of modern cities to the landscape. The images in this series refer to the ideas of man conquering the natural environment and the longing to escape from urban environments.
Sight Densification
Sight Densification is a series which is based on the aura of coexistent urban infrastructure such as skyscrapers, bridges, dams and roads and their dramatic relation to nature. These images have been edited to create a more exaggerated city landscape which features both an urban environment and natural forms.
Collective Narratives
Collective narratives is a series of photographs in which Tanja Dean framed natural environments within theatrical spaces with audiences. When making this series, Tanja was interested in different types of spectatorship and architectural settings and the act of a large group of people gathering to experience something together.
Overall, I am inspired by Tanja Deman’s creative tie between nature and humans in these series and how she makes a false environment look like reality. I would like for my own image to look as real and impactful as Tanja Demans and I will do this by ensuring that the features of the landscape I create look like they belong. In addition, I think the series which my vision is most similar to would be Fernweh as, although you can tell the landscape isn’t real, it just works and that is what I am hoping to do with the Industrial areas of Jersey.
Image Analysis
This is a photograph by Tanja Deman which displays an audience inside a theatre who, instead of watching a play, appear to be looking at a depiction from a woodland. This piece of work is part of a collection by Tanja Deman called ‘Collective Narratives’. Tanja Deman wanted this image to give the impression that a large group of people have gathered to experience something and observe together. I personally think that Tanja Deman has displayed this image particularly in an attempt to get people to make a change and reduce environmental impacts. In this image, there is also a high contrast between the theatre and depiction which highlights what she wants you to see (the forest). There are also clear leading lines in this image which are the balconies in the theatre. These lines lead your eyes to the focal point, the depiction, as well as the fact that it looks as if this depiction is lighting up the room. Finally, this image looks as if it was taken using a high aperture as there is a large depth of field and a fast shutter speed as there is no motion blur from the audience and the details in the image are very clear.
