Reflections
A semester long project for Art 476, Fall 2021, Intermediate Photography
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Reflections builds on my interest in portraiture. It was prompted by my desire to connect with others on a deeper level after a long and isolating year amidst a global pandemic. Journaling and reflecting have been integral to my life within the past few years; they have allowed me to confront past negative experiences with self perception, confidence, and insecurity. Because of this, I became interested in exploring how written reflection affected the lives of other people. I have always wondered how photography and writing could be used in combination with one another, and this project is my first formal attempt at combining my two passions. Rather than providing specific guidelines for the friends and loved ones who modeled for me, I created a list of questions and asked them to reflect on whichever ones felt the most meaningful in handwritten script. I used Adobe Photoshop to overlay the subject's own handwriting over their images, and paired fragments of text with specific photographs. In addition, the backgrounds of these images speak to the personality of the subjects. Some of the text in this project may seem difficult to read, which was done intentionally based on the comfort level of the model. Some people prefer to keep their deep emotions private, while others find comfort in sharing those thoughts with the world. My most prominent goal for this project is to inspire genuine self-discovery and self-acceptance. By using images that exhibit simplicity, depth, and sensitivity, Reflections strives to inspire viewers to acknowledge the power of self-reflection.
