I have used some of the text from this page on the public-facing website I created for the exhibition, which can be seen here.
The world is changing rapidly. The global population is booming, cities are expanding, and the world is becoming more industrial. We are losing our green spaces. Climate change, driven by relentless emissions, disrupts our planet's balance; according to NASA, the summer of 2023 was the hottest on record (NASA, 2024). Deforestation continues at an alarming rate, erasing habitats and worsening the crisis.
Growing up in a city, I have always felt the need to escape to nature. The woodland at Tehidy has become my safe space as I navigate life in a new part of the country, far from my family. Tehidy is my sanctuary. Witnessing the damage industrialisation has inflicted on green spaces first-hand, I desperately hope we can preserve as much of it as possible. This section of my project aims to illustrate the fragility of the environment and highlight our individual responsibility to secure the future of our world amid the climate crisis. Naturally, I chose to photograph Tehidy Woods, a place cherished by the local community. To appeal to the audience's concern about habitat destruction, I began by photographing the wildlife in the woods. Although I would have loved to capture images of elusive creatures like otters and deer, practicality led me to focus on squirrels and common birds.
During my initial visit, I encountered an unexpected problem: I could not produce sharp images. Previously, I had used an infrared-converted camera without issue, but my new camera, adapted to capture the full spectrum of light from ultraviolet to infrared, was struggling. Information on Rob Shea's YouTube channel and blog helped me resolve the issue. The first problem was with focus: different wavelengths of light focus at different points, and a camera converted to infrared must be recalibrated to work with a specific lens (Shea, 2020a). The lens I was using, though compatible with the camera, was not suitable for this calibration, so I purchased the specific lens the camera conversion had been designed to work with.
Secondly, I learned I was experiencing diffraction, a scattering of light that reduces image sharpness. As Shea explains, "Larger f-stop numbers increase diffraction. Longer wavelengths increase diffraction. As a result, the impact of diffraction will be apparent at lower f-stop numbers for near-infrared light compared to visible light" (Shea, 2020b). This means smaller apertures are prone to increased diffraction, and the more infrared light allowed in, the more likely diffraction is to occur, even at larger apertures. After acquiring my new lens and experimenting with different f-stops to create a sharper image, I returned to the woods and captured much more successful photos.
Figures 1 and 4 (above) show a squirrel sitting on a log. The first image is soft and dreamlike, while the second is much sharper yet still retains an ethereal quality due to the infrared light's effect on the leaves. Similarly, Figures 3 and 5, which depict swans, demonstrate the difference in sharpness before and after resolving the focusing issue. Figure 3 exhibits chromatic aberration around the swans as the lens couldn't focus all wavelengths of light at the same point (Mansurov, 2022). In this case, it was caused by using a lens that the camera was not calibrated to work with. While this echoes Simon Marsden's halo effect more closely than any of the other photos I have taken so far, it is unfortunate that the focus is poor, as the swans' ghostly outlines create a striking image that could connect to several aspects of this project. This image could illustrate the prospect of losing these majestic birds or potentially symbolise death and the hope that two soulmates might reunite in the afterlife.
In contrast, Figure 2 has a more joyful, spirited feel. Interestingly, the robin's iconic red chest appears almost white in infrared, suggesting that its red feathers reflect infrared light more strongly than its brown feathers. This whimsical effect highlights the unique and unexpected nature of infrared photography and has earned this image the title "Robin Infrared-Breast". When I thought of the title, I was reminded of the playful humour of Duane Michals (DC Moore Gallery, 2017). This photo is too lighthearted to convey a sense of hopelessness for the future due to climate change, but I may find a suitable use for it as robins are commonly seen as symbols of the presence of a departed loved one's spirit.
Water is a major part of climate change and a key environmental concern. From the global threat of rising sea levels and large-scale impacts of flooding to local water shortages and contamination concerns, how we manage our carbon emissions has a significant effect on our water resources. The United Nations states that "most impacts of climate change come down to water" (United Nations, 2023). Through the above photos of the lake at Tehidy (Figures 6 to 13), I aim to challenge the audience to consider the critical importance of protecting our water systems in the fight against climate change.
Each pair of images consists of one with basic white balance and level adjustments and the other with a red/blue channel swap applied. In Figures 9, 11, and 13, I used a layer mask to apply the channel swap to the water and the bushes near the bottom of the frame, turning the lake blue but leaving the sky in its original orange state. There is tension in the channel-swapped images; the blue lakes look peaceful, but the red skies look ominous, suggesting fire and destruction. This juxtaposition aims to create unease in the audience, encouraging them to consider the impact their actions may have on the environment.
Conversely, Figures 6, 8, 10, and 12, with a looming red sky, could suggest a bleak future. Our once-thriving green spaces and vast blue skies could be replaced with desolation and decay. UN Secretery-General António Guterres states, "Nature is angry. And we fool ourselves if we think we can fool nature. Because nature always strikes back. And around the world, nature is striking back with fury" (United Nations, 2019). His words highlight how we are destroying the world around us in the name of progress, and nature will inevitably destroy us. We are sacrificing our future for the sake of our present.
During a separate shoot at the Merry Maidens, I captured an image that evokes a similar feeling of impending doom to the lake photos above. Figure 16 employs a basic rule-of-thirds composition, featuring white grass, a line of white bushes and trees, and a rich, orange sky (Adobe, 2020). The simplicity of the scene is strikingly beautiful, yet the unnatural colours instil a sense of discomfort. This contrasts with the woodland photos taken at Tehidy (Figures 14 and 15), where the colours are somewhat more natural but still maintain an air of mystery and wonder. These photos aim to paint a picture of an enchanting, beautiful world, showcasing our surroundings from a new perspective.
Overall, this set of images reflects the theme of the loss of a secure future by highlighting the fragile beauty of our natural world and the urgent need for environmental preservation. The juxtaposition of serene blue lakes with ominous red skies in my channel-swapped images creates an unsettling tension, prompting the audience to consider the consequences of their actions on the environment. Through the ethereal, dreamlike quality of infrared photography, I aim to inspire a deeper appreciation for nature and a renewed commitment to safeguarding our planet for future generations.
The final images taken in Tehidy do not fit within this section on the environmental loss or any of the other sections, but I felt it was important to include them. Losing my horses was the inspiration behind this project, and capturing a photo of a rider taking their horse out for a hack was something I never thought would happen. I could not catch up to the rider, so I had to zoom in as far as I could and crop the image in Photoshop. These images are very small and cannot be enlarged without visibly affecting the quality, making them unsuitable for the large-scale prints I hope to create for the exhibition (B&B Press, 2024). I may use one as a minor part of the project, perhaps on the final page of the zine, where it can stand alone as a tribute to my horses. Figure 17 captures more of the trees and omits the swan, directing the focus to the horse and rider. I used a layer mask to desaturate the figures and applied Rob Shea's Orton Effect action to the scene, which gave everything a soft glow and created the impression of ghosts journeying through the ethereal forest. This isn't quite the same as Marsden's eerie halo effect, but is better suited to creating an uplifting, comforting atmosphere. This image represents the hope that someday, in some way, I may be reunited with my horses.
References
Adobe (2020) Guide to the rule of thirds in Photography, Adobe. Available at: https://www.adobe.com/uk/creativecloud/photography/discover/rule-of-thirds.html (Accessed: 11 June 2024).
B&B Press (2024) How does image resolution affect print quality?, B&B Press. Available at: https://www.bbpress.co.uk/news/how-does-image-resolution-affect-print-quality (Accessed: 11 June 2024).
DC Moore Gallery (2017) Duane Michals, DC Moore Gallery. Available at: https://www.dcmooregallery.com/artists/duane-michals (Accessed: 20 February 2024).
Mansurov, N. (2022) What is Chromatic Aberration?, Photography Life. Available at: https://photographylife.com/what-is-chromatic-aberration (Accessed: 02 June 2024).
The Marsden Archive (no date) The Marsden Archive. Available at: http://www.marsdenarchive.com/ (Accessed: 20 February 2024).
NASA (2024) Effects - NASA Science, NASA. Available at: https://science.nasa.gov/climate-change/effects/ (Accessed: 05 May 2024).
Shea, R. (2020a) 5 Pitfalls of Infrared Photography, YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPZzI6luxyA (Accessed: 19 March 2024).
Shea, R. (2020b) Diffraction in Infrared Photography, Rob Shea Photography. Available at: https://blog.robsheaphotography.com/2020/09/15/diffraction-in-infrared-photography.html (Accessed: 19 March 2024).
United Nations (2019) Nature striking back with fury, secretary-general tells climate action summit, calling ‘apocalyptic’ Bahamas destruction ‘the future - if we do not act now’ | meetings coverage and press releases, United Nations. Available at: https://press.un.org/en/2019/sgsm19757.doc.htm (Accessed: 11 June 2024).
United Nations (2023) Water – at the Center of the Climate Crisis, United Nations. Available at: https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/climate-issues/water (Accessed: 02 June 2024).
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