Reflections
A semester long project for Art 476, Fall 2021, Intermediate Photography
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Reflections delves deep into my interest in portraiture. It was prompted by a desire to connect with others on a deeper level after a long and isolating year amidst a global pandemic. Journaling and reflecting have always been integral to my life, having allowed me to confront difficulties with self perception, confidence, and insecurity. Because of this, I became interested in exploring how written reflection affected the lives of other people. Rather than providing specific guidelines for the friends and loved ones who participated in this project, 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. 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 was 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.
