Valedictory

For my valedictory project I wanted to take pictures of people blending in or camouflaging with their surroundings. I originally wanted to dress my models up in outfits that matched a background and have them pose in different ways. However, I found it difficult to find outfits that worked for each of the backgrounds and although I took some full body shots, I liked the close up shots a lot better. I liked the way the models eyes and facial expressions looked and I tried to focus on the eyes in several of the photos.
Although the way I set up my photos was different than I anticipated, my general concentration stayed the same. I wanted to focus on the idea of people trying to "fit in" socially. I think that, in school especially, it's hard for many people to be themselves. Most people find it easier to blend in rather than stand out in a crowd. I tried to represent this feeling of needing to fit in and trying to be like everybody else in my photos. I framed my photos in a way that made the models background surround them and cover them up. Similarly, in a social setting, someone might let the people around them "cover them up" or make it so they disappear. While taking my photos, I told my models to keep a straight face and not to smile. I did this because I wanted the photos to show that when you try to fit in rather than be yourself, you will not be happy or smiling-at least on the inside. I think the message I want to come across from my photos would be to be confident and be yourself and you will find that you will become a much happier person.
In the end, I think my photos represented what I wanted them to. I really like the way they turned out and I think it would be easy for me to continue with this concentration. 

Valedictory Contact Sheet

Surrealism Finals

I chose to white out my face in this photo to symbolize how I present my outer self. I tend to be very quiet and try to blend in or disappear when I am with big groups of people. My facial expression in the photo hinted at this but I thought it would be more interesting and representative of myself if I whited out my expression entirely. Although I am quiet and shy with people I don't know, I tend to be very loud and excited after I get to know a person. I used the vibrant pinks and floral patterns to represent this "inner" side of me. I think that this piece turned out really well and I think the meaning behind it is very accurate to who I am. 

The black and white portion of Rachel shows her outward personality. She in quiet and keeps to herself but on the inside she is very imaginative and colorful. This photo is meant to show how Rachel's thoughts and dreams are much more than what someone would think they appear to be on the outside. I think this is my favorite of Rachel because it shows that she has many different dimensions to herself. 

This photo is, again, meant to represent Rachel's quiet and shy outer self. The building seems to surround her which is to show how she surrounds herself with the things she loves. She is fiddling with fabric which is to represent her love for fashion and the building is to represent her love for travel. These are things that someone wouldn't know from just looking at her.

In this photo, the pose is meant to represent my outer self which is quiet and reserved. The second photo was taken while I was hiking with my friends. This photo shows what I like to do outside of school which is something someone wouldn't guess by just looking at me. This photo is not my favorite because I liked it a lot better in color- it looked much more vibrant and interesting. I wish I was able to keep this photo in color because I think it would better represent me that way.

I really liked the surrealism unit. I think the photos that I came out with represent Rachel and I really well. The photos are really interesting and I was able to put deeper meaning in each photo which I liked about the unit. Overall, I think this has been one of my favorite units of the year.