Top 5 best images and evaluation
Evaluation
I think this is one of my best images as Captain Nibbs is stood on the slope of the harbour with all the boats in the background. This image has good composition, I took it from a lower angle to capture his stance better. This image almost creates a story about Captain Nibbs as an ex fishermen and boat captain with him stood at the harbour all these years after retiring from his role.
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Fishermen in the Channel Islands had set up profitable trade routes between Canada, Europe and America by the 1750s. They established bases on the Gaspé Coast where they could salt and prepare the cod-fish. It was during the 15th century that Jersey mariners reached Canada. Jersey fishermen were among the 10,000 European fisherman by the 1580s to make the transatlantic voyage to these areas every year to fish for cod.
There was an established trade route during the Roman period between Alet, in St Servan, and Hengistbury Head in Dorset.
Although these boats certainly called in to Jersey as well, Guernsey was the favoured stop off point, because of St Peter Port’s natural deep water. Furthermore, the Roman cargo boat which was raised from this harbour at St Peter provides information on the type of boat which would have travelled on this route.
Jersey cod merchants exchanged cargoes of wine, brandy, dried fruit, citrus fruit, oil, skins, furs, coffee, sugar, salt, and tobacco for cod-fish. Most of the cod was sold to Mediterranean ports, because of the large demand of fish in those countries. These cargoes were brought back from these ports, and often taken straight to an English or Northern European port, then returning home to Jersey with a third cargo, though some would come straight back to Jersey.
Jersey benefitted from the constitutional relationship it had with Britain and the legacies of colonialism based on a slave plantation economy during the first Industrial Revolution, especially during the peak of the cod trade. Fishing vessels for the Jersey fleet had moved from being built in the outposts of Canada to Jersey, along with the large scale commercial shipyard starting operation in 1815. By the 1850s, Jersey had 300-400 ships with a tonnage of over 40,000. It is estimated that by the 1860s, the Channel Islands and Jersey-built wooden fishing fleets made up about 6% of the total tonnage of wooden fishing fleets built in the British Isles. This significant growth of the economy could have also been correlated to the population increase doubling from 28,600 in 1821 to 57,020 in 1851.
Jerseys Harbours Now
Much of the harbour infrastructure is ageing and no longer meets the needs of today’s passengers or vessels. The Harbour Master Plan aims to modernise the facilities which have developed piecemeal over many centuries.
The regeneration will safeguard the long-term viability of the harbour, serving both passengers and freight, improve customer experience, and realise the area’s potential as a leisure, cultural and tourism destination.
Saint Helier Harbour is the main harbour on the Channel Island of Jersey. It is on the south coast of the island, occupying most of the coast of the main town of St Helier. It is operated by Ports of Jersey, a company wholly owned by the Government of Jersey.[2]
Facilities include three marinas for berthing private yachts on pontoons, drying harbours and facilities for commercial shipping including roll-on/roll-off ferry berths, a tanker berth and a dock for lift-on/lift-off cargo ships.
Harbour Meaning
Saint Helier Harbour is named after Helier (or Helerius), a 6th-century ascetic hermit from Belgium. The traditional date of his martyrdom is AD 555. His feast day, marked by an annual municipal and ecumenical pilgrimage to the Hermitage, is on 16 July.
The medieval hagiographies of Helier, the patron saint martyred in Jersey and after whom the parish and town are named, suggest a picture of a small fishing village on the dunes between the marshy land behind and the high-water mark.
Harbour History
Over the years, the harbour did develop a lot. From the 19th century to the 21st century, the size, technicality and involvement has changed dramatically as the roads and land grew near the harbour.
In the 19th Century the Old Harbour was constructed. The Chamber of Commerce urged the States Assembly to build a new harbour, but they refused, so the Chamber took it into their own hands and paid to upgrade the harbour in 1790. To shelter the jetty and harbour a new breakwater was constructed and in 1814 the merchants constructed the roads now known as Commercial Buildings and Le Quai des Marchand’s. They did this to connect the harbours to the town and in 1832 construction was finished on the Esplanade and its sea wall. In 1837, a rapid expansion in shipping led the States of Jersey to order the construction of two new piers.
The main harbour is the Victoria quay and the North quay.
Marinas
There are three marinas — the La Collette Yacht Basin, the Saint Helier Marina (built in 1980) and the Elizabeth Marina. The La Collette Yacht Basin is the only one of these to provide non-tidal, 24-hour access to the sea and is home to Jersey’s commercial fishing fleet.
Since 2008, Saint Helier Marina has been the venue for the annual Jersey Boat Show.
Conclusion
The development of the harbours on Jersey, Channel Islands, is a story closely linked to the island’s economic, strategic, and military importance over the centuries. Early in Jersey’s history, natural harbours like St. Helier’s Harbour were essential for trade and fishing, with St. Helier becoming the island’s main port by the Middle Ages, serving as a key hub for maritime activity between England, France, and the wider world. The growth of Jersey as a naval and trading outpost under the Normans in the 12th century led to the expansion of port facilities, although the lack of a deep natural harbour at St. Helier initially limited larger ships. This prompted the construction of piers, wharves, and protective breakwaters. Over the centuries, as Jersey’s maritime economy flourished with its significant involvement in fishing, shipbuilding, and privateering, these early harbours were progressively expanded and fortified. The 16th and 17th centuries saw the construction of fortified structures, such as Elizabeth Castle, which, along with other forts, played a role in protecting the harbours from French and Spanish threats during the ongoing conflicts between England and France. By the 18th and 19th centuries, the commercial and strategic importance of Jersey’s harbours had grown significantly, especially during the Napoleonic Wars, when extensive fortifications were added to safeguard against potential invasion. St. Helier’s Harbour underwent major redevelopment in the 19th century with the construction of new piers and docks to accommodate an increase in trade, including the flourishing fishing and shipping industries, which saw Jersey involved in global trade routes, particularly in commodities like sugar, rum, and cotton. The advent of steamships in the 19th century further prompted infrastructure improvements to cater to more efficient, faster vessels. The construction of St. Aubin’s Harbour in the 18th century also added to Jersey’s maritime capacity, serving both as a commercial port and a military port during times of conflict. The 20th century brought new challenges, particularly during World War II, when the harbours were crucial for German occupation forces, who strengthened coastal defenses and constructed naval installations. After the war, the harbours were modernized for post-war trade and tourism, with increased passenger ferry services linking Jersey to France and mainland Britain. St. Helier’s Harbour was significantly expanded and modernized in the mid-20th century with the creation of new quays, deepening of docking areas, and the construction of new port facilities to accommodate larger vessels. Today, the island’s harbours, especially St. Helier, remain central to Jersey’s economy, serving as the main gateway for imports, exports, tourism, and leisure boating. The harbours continue to evolve, with modern facilities for cruise ships, cargo handling, and recreational yachts, while maintaining their historical legacy as vital nodes in Jersey’s maritime heritage. The development of the island’s harbours, therefore, mirrors its shifting roles in European trade, warfare, and modern tourism, shaping both the physical and cultural landscape of Jersey.
What is a picture story?
A photo story is the intentional use of pictures and words assembled into a story. One of the best ways you can tell a photo story is in a photo book. To better understand what a photo story is, it can be helpful to understand what a photo story is not.
In photography, visual storytelling is often called a ‘photo essay‘ or ‘photo story’, to convey one single message.
How do you create a picture story?
Questions are the best way to elicit a decent plan for your pictures to tell a proper story. Here are some of our favorites:
Examples of picture story’s
In 1948, it was commissioned by Life Magazine, Smith spent 23- days with Dr. Ernest Ceriani and produced a photo essay about Colorado’s country doctor.
Eugene Smith’s at-times almost unsettlingly intimate pictures illustrate in poignant detail the challenges faced by a modest, tireless rural physician—and gradually reveal the inner workings and the outer trappings of what is clearly a uniquely rewarding life.
Another Example
Afghanistan by Simon Nor flock. Simon Norfolk is a Nigerian landscape photographer from Lagos whose work mainly focuses on the nature of battlefields and conflict zones in their various forms. The war in Afghanistan has been going on for nearly 30 years now and because of this the landscape has been very much changed by the conflicts over this long period of time. This 12 picture series is one chapter in a continuous project Norfolk has been creating which attempts to understand how war and the need to fight war has shaped our world. The project also explores how daily life is influenced by military conflict through the technology we use and films we watch for example.
My Plan
I want to create a more informal photobook, but also one that is more relatable. My plan is to make one about teenage life and teenage culture, and also include the historical context of Jersey. For example I would like too make a mini book promoting Jersey and Jerseys teenagers, since there is a lot of superstition about them being so evil.
edits
For this shoot I really enjoyed focusing on taking abstract photos instead of romanticised or straight on photos.
For this photo, I brightened it up by highering the exposer. I did not want to straighten this one as all the angles and corners create a topographical image
This photo did not need to be altered however I did not like it in colour. The black and white adds some gravitas to the image.
favourites
This shoot was most definitely a success. I came out with a multitude of photos which could of been used in the zine and in other projects however my favourites were.
This is one that I find better than the others. the day was cloudy so the ambient light wasn’t blinding. I find that the black and white accentuates the deep meaningful look on his face. He is framed by the arch and the door frame which makes for a nice compassion angling the focus towards him.
Evaluation
This photo shoot was incredibly successful. I really enjoyed going out and taking photos of things I wouldn’t of thought of, and meeting people I wouldn’t of normally met.
Saint Helier, chief town, resort, parish, and the capital of Jersey, in the Channel Islands The town lies along St. Aubin’s Bay opposite a tidal island known as L’Islet (accessible by causeway at low tide), on the south side of Jersey Island. The town is named for St. Helier, a Frankish missionary who was reputedly martyred there in 555. The saint’s memory is preserved in the Hermitage, a small 12th-century oratory on L’Islet, as well as in the Abbey (later Priory) of St. Helier, founded in the mid-12th century by Robert FitzHamon, of Gloucester.
The town originated as a fishing village that grew up beside the parish church, where from the 13th century the king’s courts usually met and where markets were held. St. Helier became the seat of island government after Elizabeth Castle was built (1551–90) on L’Islet. This castle was the refuge (1646–48) of Lord Clarendon, who there began his History of the Rebellion, and of the fugitive Charles II in 1646 and 1649. Harbour works were begun in 1700, and the modern harbour dates from 1841. The marketplace (now Royal Square) was the scene of the French defeat at the Battle of Jersey (1781). The marketplace is dominated by the Court House, La Salle des Etats (States House), and the Public Library (founded 1736) and is overlooked (south) by Fort Regent (1806). Victoria College dates from 1852. About one-third of Jersey’s population lives in St. Helier, which is the focus of island transport, commerce, government, and cultural activity.
Ports of Jersey is embarking on a once-in-a-generation programme to transform the harbours in St Helier. The plans will ensure the port’s long-term viability, improve customer experience, create new commercial opportunities, and realise the area’s potential as a leisure, cultural and tourism destination.
For this photoshoot, we walked around the Victoria harbour and south pier to take photos. I took pictures of people working at the harbour, and the different boats that were lined up in the harbour. I particularly like the photo of the man with the lobster because it shows what the men actually do. I feel as though these photos show how different the harbour used to look like now.
For this photo, I used photoshop. I started by using the quick selection tool to select the background. I then made the background black and white by making a second layer of the selected parts and proceeded to make it black and white. After this, I levelled the photograph to make the blacks in the background darker because it made the image more dramatic. I kept the objects in the photo in colour because it made them the focus point of the image to portray to the viewer the objects that the fisherman used to catch the fish that are in the harbour.
For this photoshoot, I walked along the harbours and photographed the structures and landscapes along with the smaller details. I tried to capture the historic side and the modern.
This photoshoot was fairly successful as I was able to capture a small variance of photographs of different aspects of the harbours. However, I would have liked to capture more images of the areas as a whole and the formations of the different harbours.
Edits:
This photoshoot took place at the Maritime Museum, The Fresh Fish Company and around the Marina. In these areas alone, I took over 900 images in order to capture a wide variety of examples of what goes on down in these areas and what a working environment like this entails.
It was important for me to take images of nearly everything going on down here so that not only would my images be able to link with one another and tell an active story, but represent the way of life when working down on the Marina itself. As well as this, it meant that I could show comparisons and the advancements from when the transatlantic trade began for cod-fisheries, showing the more modernised and efficient industry.
BEST IMAGES:
One of my favourite images I took was of one of the hundreds of crabs that had been caught within The Fresh Fish company. These crabs were piled up onto one another and created an indistinguishable blanket of crabs, struggling to move around within these confined bodies of water. From here, these crabs would be exported to places overseas in Southern Europe. I think this image is really successful because there is so much detailed captured within the image, with the crab being partially submerged this creates an ominous tone due to the change in texture as the crab declines into the water, giving an almost glowing effect around its shell. I also think that this was really effective as in the foreground, the crab has high definition but as the background is entered, it goes out of focus, showing the compact space of crabs toppling over one another.
The image on the left is of one of the many fishermen working in this industry holding a crayfish. These creatures are exported to places such as Venice to become served in restaurants and are sold at £150 per kilogram. This environmental portrait depicts really well the type of ‘hands-on’ approach that fishermen take within their jobs, with the possibility of injury, in order to export these goods to be enjoyed.
This image was taken from inside the Jersey Sailing Club, hanging their life jackets in the air on a metal rod. I really like this image, not just because of the high vibrancy throughout the image which makes it eye-catching, but also the way the first life jacket is the main focal point of the image, making everything else in the background blurred.
This image was taken of a commercial boat, however I similarly do like the way that the yellow buoy is the focal point of the image, with the row of boats in the background flowing behind and adding to the composition. I think that this has worked very well also due to blue in the background, contrasting the brighter yellow within the foreground. As well as this, the light has reflected off of the metal and bounced off at a good angle due to this being taken at midday, leading to a more iridescent and shiny look, outlining it and making it stand out.
This image was really appealing to me because of the rich and bold yellow on the boat in the foreground as its very eye-catching and hard to miss. Not only do the shadows within this image provide dynamic shapes to slide across, but it also includes a vast amount of various dinghy boats and heavy machinery in the background, giving a rich insight into the types of activities that take place down at the marina.
These images are of cargo boats onloading and offloading for imports and exports to places like France for example. I wanted to capture these as not only are they really vibrant and appealing, but there are so many intricate details, textures and parts which I thought would be beneficial to my work as it shows how technical and intricate this work is.
I liked these images because the boats bring in bright block colours which juxtaposes all of the dull sand and left-over sea water in the boats as the tide has gone out.
These two images above are of the retailing part of the fishing process. The lobster and crab has been prepared during the production stage and now is ready to be bought and eaten.
On the left is a photo of one of the many stacks of rowing boats at the Jersey Rowing Club. I feel that this image is really effective because the points of the boats go down in a vertical line as if its splitting the image into two halves. As well as this, this adds some depth to my image too.
The image on the right is taken of one of the many ladders used to get down onto the boats to fish. I really liked this image because there is a large contrast within it, the ladder has become extremely dark and allows the marina to be revealed behind it.
I liked this image because it resembles the sublime due to the way the sail boats are much bigger in comparison to the worker, creating an intimidating feel in the image. As well as this, this image has used a wide-pan approach meaning that you can see how large the harbour actually is.
Not only did I really like the saturated tone in this image but the way the two sailing boats created parallel lines, due to their masts, making the viewers eyes flow through the centres of the images. As well as this, the foreground of the thick sludge revealed from the tide going out has been imprinted with seaweed, rope and chains making an intricate pattern and an uneven texture from puddles of water left behind.
Maritime Museum:
Glass bottles of models of ships used within Jersey’s maritime history:
This photoshoot taken from Jersey’s Maritime Museum was very insightful and provided a high amount of historical value and contextual importance into my work, however I didn’t choose to use many of the images I took here as I don’t feel that these would be useful any further as it doesn’t fit in with what I am intending to explore in this topic. Although this information will help me when creating my zine as it means I will be more aware of what I am creating and help me create a narrative, I have other images which are more successful.
Black and White:
I put my images into black and white too to create a more composed perspective:
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