'The harder the conflict, the greater the triumph'
-Thomas Paine
statement of intent
The idea of conflict can manifest itself in a huge variety of ways. Whether it be physical or mental, conflict is a treacherous but inevitable component of life. After a period of consultation, I have decided to base my conflict project on mental health and anxiety. I have chosen this because it's something that everyone experiences and it is something that can affect your whole mindset and can get in the way of life. My moodboard explores the idea of being trapped in your own thoughts, being lost and putting on a fake image for others. I want to let people know through this project that sometimes, you're not okay and there's no shame in that; it's just a part of life that lets us grow as humans. As physical signs of poor mental wellbeing are limited to explicit concepts to the likes of self-harm and suicide, I devise other imagery that will successfully depict the impression of being crippled by your own brain. For this, I can include symbolism such as cages and barbed wire to illustrate the feeling of entrapment brought on by anxiety. I can research a wide range of images to get inspiration, such as Katie Joy Crawford's cage-inspired images and Ariana Grande's use of imagery to represent anxiety in her recent music videos. As the imagery is largely symbolic and not realistic, I will have to use Photoshop to manipulate my images to create the illusion that is desired. As of the initial ambition, I hope to include imagery such as cages, smoke, drowning and suffocating to graphically convey those emotions in an explicit manner. For this, I will need to use a model in a studio shot. Ultimately, I will then develop them into final posters, promoting a mental health support group.
research
analysing an photograph:
context: |
connection: |
This photograph was taken by Unicef in December 2015. Its title is 'Born into Conflict' and it was taken in a war-torn country to promote awareness for the amount of children who are born into areas of conflict. Unicef is a worldwide charity that saves children's lives and defends their rights. They have helped reduce child mortality all over the world and works to support children's education in vulnerable areas. They also are there to quickly support families in times on emergency to assist with lifesaving aid and long term assistance. Unicef was originally founded in 1946 by Ludwik Rajchman to provide emergency food and healthcare to children in countries that had been devastated by World War Two. It is a part of the United Nations. Its full name is the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund.
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The theme of this photo is conflict affecting normal people which directly links to my project as it is also about conflict. It relates to my work as a very big issue related to conflict is war and the refugee crisis. It inspires me on my project as it gives me an insight into what techniques would be useful to take effective photographs. I think that the message behind the image is that war brings great suffering, especially for children as it gives them a very unfair start into life. They are worried about fleeing their country when that should be the last thing on their mind. The first thing that you do when you think of "conflict" is most probably picture a scene of brutality, destruction and violence. However, just like my project aims to do, the photo delves into the idea that conflict can be an issue with anyone in the world, rich or poor, old or young. It can exist in many forms and it is a part of life.
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comment:
This photo is extremely powerful. The photographer has done an amazing job at creating a very effective composition in a matter of seconds. It has the ability to make the viewer feel empathy for the depicted family and makes them question whether they can do anything to help. Every camera setting has been set perfectly, even with a running shot, to create a perfect photo. Furthermore, it strays away from the stereotypical depiction of blood and guts when photographing war and conflict while still being very effective. It shows that conflict can affect anyone in any way. If I were to be very nit picky, I would set the shutter speed slower to really capture the family's movement to put across the idea that they are fleeing from their home. This, however, would require a tripod, not very convenient for a running shot and would blur out the family's facial expressions, which was a key part of making the photo very effective. I think it can inspire me in my own project as I also want to convey the idea that anyone can be affected by conflict.
composition: |
content: |
The photo has been taken at a high aperture, which creates a deep depth of field. This makes house looks far away, giving the effect that the family are running away and that they have been running for a long time. The shutter speed is fast as the family's movement has been captured into a still, focused image. This means that the photographer did not need to use a tripod, indicating that there was no time to set up a perfect shot; it was taken directly in the moment. It has been taken at their face level, which quickly draws the viewer to the family's distressed facial expressions. There is a diagonal leading line running along their faces, which guides the viewer's eyes across the photo. I think that the photographer has done this to reinforce the image's theme of conflict . A cold white balance and a slightly high exposure has been used to ive the photo a harsh setting, reflecting the family's struggles. Furthermore, the rule of thirds has been used to capture the house, which brings it to the viewer's attention.
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In the photograph is a family consisting of a father, a mother, a young child and a baby perhaps fleeing their home because of war. It was taken in Syria, an area of heavy conflict. They are in the foreground, which makes their terrified facial expressions very clear. It looks quite new, based off of the electricity pylons to the right of the house and it is in colour. There is a brick house in the top right of the shot which is surrounded by dead trees. The family is in a dark, muddy almost lifeless area which contrasts with the very bright sky. The light from the sun harshly illuminates the family which may be meant to mirror the harsh nature of their war-torn country that they live in. This makes the viewer feel empathy for the family and persuades them to donate to Unicef. They are all wearing many layers of thick clothing, which may suggest either that they are in a very cold environment or that they had to leave in a very rushed fashion, meaning they didn't have time to pack suitcases.
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inspirational photos
This photo was taken by Katie Joy Crawford to display what anxiety feels like. It links to my own project as it shows how it feels like you are trapped in the cage of your own thoughts and feelings. It contains a girl with a photoshopped cage in her head with her trapped inside. The exposure is not too high or too low; the image isn't bleached out or too dark. It is hard to tell what the aperture has been set at because the background is a plain black. The white balance has been set so that it compliments the setting; the photo isn't too yellow or blue. It has been taken with a fast shutter speed because it is not blurred. It has not used the rule of thirds. Instead, the subject is in the middle. It has been taken at the face level of the girl. The mixture of the plain black background and the subject being right in the middle brings all the attention to the cage, with nothing distracting from it. In my opinion, the photo is very effective in giving an accurate analogy of what anxiety feels like and is very clever and unique.
my project plan
my chosen charity
Anxiety UK is a national registered charity formed in 1970 by someone living with agoraphobia for those affected by anxiety disorders. Today we are still a user-led organisation, run by people with experience of living with anxiety, stress or anxiety-based depression, supported by a high-profile medical advisory panel. Anxiety UK is a member of the Association of Mental Health Providers. We work to relieve and support those living with anxiety and anxiety-based depression by providing information, support and understanding via an extensive range of services, including 1:1 therapy. We work regularly with external agencies and healthcare professionals to improve services for those living with anxiety and anxiety-based depression and also campaign to raise awareness of the conditions. We can provide support and help if you’ve been diagnosed with, or suspect you may have an anxiety condition. We can also help you deal with specific phobias such as fear of spiders, blushing, vomiting, being alone, public speaking, heights – in fact, any fear that’s stopped you from getting on with your life.
-Anxiety UK Website
-Anxiety UK Website
shoot 1
location a
The photos taken at this location are my worst photos as the background is the school corridor, which is not suitable for my project idea. Also, many of the photos are blurry, showing that either the shutter speed was too slow or I did not take the photo with the correct posture.
location b
This location is better because the background is more suitable for my project as it reflects the idea of being "bricked in". Furthermore, the photos themselves are more clear, in focus and are taken from a better angle and position. I have used a tripod for this location, meaning the photos are in the exact same spot, making photoshopping easier.
final image
further refining
To get to this point, I have used the lasso tool to select and delete the brick background. I have then inserted a black background and introduced some spotlight lighting effects. Finally, I added a filter to make the photo more dark and inserted the Anxiety UK logo.
final photo
I do not like this poster because the image looks very flat and the cage is very thick. It is also slightly too dark.
shoot 2
best photo
This is the best photo because the lighting, exposure and white balance have been adjusted to create a suitable dark, moody atmosphere. It is dark enough to hide the creases in the backdrop. This is beneficial as it compliments my theme of conflict. Also, the tree is clear, you can see every individual branch. This shows that I have focused the lens correctly and I have used the correct stance to mitigate any camera shake. My model was composed and her expression is suitable for the theme.
worst photo
This photo is substandard as the lighting and exposure have not been set correctly; the photo is too bright for the sombre theme and you can see the creased backdrop. Furthermore, the white balance has been set incorrectly, making the photo slightly too yellow. In the opinion, the angle is too high. Finally, the photo is out of focus, meaning I have either not used the correct stance or I have not focused the lens correctly.
developing through adobe photoshop
final photo
final images
project evaluation
My project was based around conflict; more specifically anxiety and mental health. I chose to focus on this as it is an issue many of us, myself included, go through, meaning I have a great insight into the type of imagery that can be used to portray these types of emotions. Knowledge of Photoshop was essential to complete this project as, discovered through my research, an excellent way of conveying mental conflict through photography is by physically displaying the feelings felt in the mind; being trapped, drowning, having to put on a happy face etc. Manifesting these feelings in a visual way successfully conveys the message of this project. As this was my first project, however, I was relatively inept at using Photoshop, resulting in an outcome that was not at all visually pleasing. In my opinion, my cage image looks unrealistic, messy and tacky. This was due to a number of factors, including the fact that the cage I had used was found from the internet- it was low quality and had thick lines. Furthermore, its colour did not at all compliment the photo; my inadequate Photoshop skills meant I could not correct this. A factor leading to the image's cheap look is the 2D nature of the cage- the awkward transition of the model's defined head to the flat cage makes for an incredibly unsightly outcome. In future projects, I will make sure that the plans I make are not too ambitious for my limited skills. Although they will develop over time, I must restrain myself as proposals that are too advanced will result in how this project did. I have recognised that it is much more effective to go with an idea that is not too complex but still interesting. This way, I know that I will be able to complete a project to a high standard. Benefits that did come out of completing this project, however, include my newfound ability to create a setup. Completing the tree shoot taught me how to set up a black background, lighting and tripod. This will be an invaluable asset to my future projects as planning and creating a setup is a fundamental process in photography.