DESCRIBE:

In the photograph you can see that it is in colour, portrait, rectangular, digital, low level viewpoint, fast shutter
speed, low aperture, deep depth of field, blank space, rule of thirds and captures a window with a vignette-like
effect.

EXPLAIN:
I chose for this photograph to be portrait because it makes the audience feel restricted as they can’t see much of
what else is happening which is the effect I wanted to create as the series of images I have produced are from
the viewpoint of a person who has declining mental health therefore, it illustrates how the person feels restricted
from the world around them. Secondly, you can identify that this image was shot using a digital camera due to
the crisp look of the photograph. Moreover, I used an aperture of f/9 and a shutter speed of 1/60 which allows
every detail to be visible however, I believe that a lower aperture would have been more effective to
communicate my meaning as it would have shown the blurriness this person sees when they first wake up, as if
they can’t recognise what is going on and they are slowly deteriorating. Furthermore, a window denotes “a
barrier” as it separates someone from the outside, as if they are imprisoned however, you could also argue that it
acts as “protection” that this person feels they need to have to feel satisfied. The camera has been positioned at a
low angle to emphasise the vulnerability that this person feels as if the “outside world” has more power to
control their “inside world”. The vignette effect created emphasises this as it acts as a way to draw our attention
to the “villain” (the window) and makes it look more superior however, some could argue that it also
demonstrates how when this person wakes up, their sole focus is on the window as if it is a growing fear that is
upon them.

ANALYSE:
When discussing composition, you can see that this photograph illustrates blank space as most of the
photograph is black which connotes mystery and darkness, implying that even though the window could be
interpreted as providing “protection” for this person it seems to fail at that job as darkness is intruding their
“inside world”. Also, outside the window, the sky is grey demonstrating that the “outside world” still has its fair
share of problems however, this person feels that their problems are escalating because of it and they are starting
to feel suffocated by it, emphasised by the vignette effect. The greyness of the sky could also simply tell the
audience that this person has a bad sleeping schedule and are waking up when it is nearly the end of a day,
highlighting their poor way of living. I also feel that if this photograph was edited in black and white, it would
highlight the melancholy atmosphere surrounding the image however, the audience may get distracted and think
this photograph was taken many years ago therefore, believing that the issues portrayed within this image are
irrelevant to today’s society which is not true whatsoever. Furthermore, I would print this image large because
not only would it truly reflect an accurate viewpoint from somebody who has declining mental health (as their
problems are massive and consume a lot of their day-to-day life) but it would also force people to make more
awareness of how people have been feeling during lockdown as it would invite a group experience for people to
openly discuss their issues. Lastly, the deep depth of field further reinforces a group experience as every detail is
visible and no bias is created to what the most important subject is in the photograph which implies that from
the viewpoint of this person, everything seems to affect them which makes the audience feel sympathy for them.

EVALUATE:
I believe the most effective technique I used was viewpoint as it forced the audience to understand how
vulnerable and weak you can feel when you are at your lowest. Particularly in recent times, the fact the window
is higher emphasises the power the outside world has had resulting in enforced lockdowns. Another technique I
believe was successful was the vignette effect I managed to create with my fingers by slightly covering the top
and the bottom of the lens to not only make it look like the person was waking up, but also their fears growing
upon them. However, I feel to improve I could have experimented with shutter speed/depth of field to create a
blurry effect as that would accurately represent the slow deterioration that this person is experiencing from
themselves. When comparing with Bex Day’s work, I feel that you can tell I was influenced by her through the
use of viewpoint which she uses successfully in her image “Paper Bag”.
DESCRIBE:
In the photograph you can see that it is in colour, portrait, rectangular, digital, low level viewpoint, fast shutter
speed, low aperture, shallow depth of field and captures a phone taking a photograph of a window.

EXPLAIN:
I chose for this photograph to be portrait because it makes the audience feel restricted as they can’t see much of
what else is happening which is the effect I wanted to create as the series of images I have produced are from
the viewpoint of a person who has declining mental health therefore, it illustrates how the person feels restricted
from the world around them and when they wake up, they are consumed to their phone as it acts as a distraction
from being consumed in their thoughts. Secondly, you can identify that this image was shot using a digital
camera due to the crisp look of the photograph. Moreover, I used an aperture of f/5.6 and a shutter speed of 1/60
because I wanted the photograph to be slightly blurry as it reinforces the notion that this person has the same
routine every day therefore, each day has blurred and merged into one. However, I feel that I should have
adjusted the depth of field to make sure that the phone was not blurred as it makes the audience think that there
is no hope for the person to get better which I did not want to create. Furthermore, the phone that is framed in
the foreground denotes the age of social media, which can have many negative connotations associated with it
as you can easily access anything. The camera has been positioned at a low angle which further reinforces the
vulnerability of this person however, they now do not only have 1 enemy (the window), but they also have their
phone which makes the audience feel even more anxious about the wellbeing of this person.

ANALYSE:
Firstly, the contrast of light and dark lighting reflects that in the “real world”, it is gloomy however when we are
on social media, the world is portrayed to us as amazing – particularly during the pandemic, social media
influencers and celebrities have broken rules galore which emphasises how reality gets distorted on social media
and then we start believing the “fake world” as most of us are glued to our phones. This is further reinforced as
the person’s hand (who is taking the photograph) is a silhouette which adds mystery to the photograph, but you
could also argue that through the influence of the “fake world”, this person has started to lose themselves
completely. Although social media does come with its list of negatives, for this person it is their escape due to
the bright colours and lighting used. When discussing composition, you can identify that this photograph
demonstrates leading lines as wherever our focus is drawn to first, there is always a line leading us to another
subject in the image implying that each subject is important in the photograph to understand the meaning behind
it. Furthermore, I would print this image large because not only would it truly reflect an accurate viewpoint from
somebody who has declining mental health (as their problems are massive and consume a lot of their day-to-day
life) but it would also force people to make more awareness of how people have been coping with their feelings
during lockdown, such as being drawn to social media. Moreover, if you look closely at the image framed
within the phone, you can see that the headboard of the bed is facing the wrong way which emphasises the
notion that when you have a negative mentality, you tend to get a restless sleep. Also, the low angle viewpoint
reinforces how weak this person is however, they have had enough strength to go on their phone as one of the
first things they do when they wake up.

EVALUATE:
I believe the most effective technique I used was lighting because not only does it create a direct contrast
between light and dark but also, it emphasises the meaning I wanted to reflect very successfully. However, I feel
to improve I could have adjusted the depth of field so the phone was more in focus, therefore it would have
emphasised the fact that on social media, life looks very perfect which would have also demonstrated a more
accurate representation of somebody who suffers with mental health issues. Therefore, I feel that you could not
identify that I was influenced by Bex Day as this photograph does not act as a record that many people could
relate to due to the blurriness of the image.

DESCRIBE:
In the photograph you can see that it is in colour, portrait, rectangular, digital, low level viewpoint, fast shutter
speed, low aperture, shallow depth of field and captures a bed, a book and some pills.

EXPLAIN:
I chose for this photograph to be portrait because it makes the audience feel restricted as they can’t see much of
what else is happening which is the effect I wanted to create as the series of images I have produced are from
the viewpoint of a person who has declining mental health therefore, it emphasises the isolation they feel from
the “outside world”. Secondly, you can identify that this image was shot using a digital camera due to the crisp
look of the photograph. Moreover, I used an aperture of f/4.5 and a shutter speed of 1/60 because the book and
the pills are the most important subjects in the photograph. Furthermore, the pills are organised to represent a
sad face which denotes that even their medication is not making them feel better however, the book denotes
intelligence suggesting that this person is capable to be successful in life, but the pills overshadow any chance of
that. The camera has been positioned at a low angle to highlight the vulnerability of this person as it makes the
window appear more daunting, therefore it can overrule her life just as much as the pill’s can.
ANALYSE:
As previous photographs have emphasised, this person feels detached from reality which is resembled by the
shallow depth of field as the window is blurred and the objects that are in focus are the book and the pills which
reinforces the fact that this photograph is from the viewpoint of the person because one of their sole focuses is
having their pills. You could suggest that their medication is not working by making them organised into a sad
face or you could argue that it represents medication for depression, which has been on the rise during the
pandemic. Also, the pills are positioned on top of the book which could imply that although this person is smart,
their mental health will always overrule any academic success for them – showing the power mental health can
have over you. Furthermore, even though this person feels distant from the “outside world”, it still holds just as
much power as their pills do through the use of the low angle shot which makes the audience sympathise with
the person as they are represented as weak. The colours used are also muted, which adds to the solemn
atmosphere of the image which could suggest that in the viewpoint of the person, nothing will ever get better as
there is no lightness in sight. I think if this image was in black and white, it would not only highlight the pills
more effectively, but it would also not show the yellow wall which would add a darker tone and more enigma,
making the audience fear for this person even more as darkness would be all around them. Lastly, I would print
this image large because not only would it truly reflect an accurate viewpoint from somebody who has declining
mental health (as their problems are massive and consume a lot of their day-to-day life) but it would also force
people to make more awareness of how people who have had ongoing issues (before the lockdown) have had to
adjust dramatically – creating a group experience.

EVALUATE:
I believe the most effective technique I used was depth of field and viewpoint as I made sure that the most
important things to the person was in focus and I also still made sure that the window had ultimate power, even
though the person is not focused on it. However, I feel to improve I could have tried to include some
composition techniques such as leading lines which would have further drawn the audiences focus to the pills.
Overall, I feel you can identify that I was influenced by Bex Day as this photograph explores the internal effects
of Covid-19 which is something she wanted to touch on within her series “Seesaw” however, I did not
demonstrate a lightness of the matter.

DESCRIBE:
In the photograph you can see that it is in colour, portrait, rectangular, digital, low level viewpoint, fast shutter
speed, low aperture, shallow depth of field and captures a hand, window and clock.

EXPLAIN:
I chose for this photograph to be portrait because it makes the audience feel restricted as they can’t see much of
what else is happening which is the effect I wanted to create as the series of images I have produced are from
the viewpoint of a person who has declining mental health therefore, the audience’s attention is focused on the
person’s relationship with the “outside world”. Secondly, you can identify that this Image was shot using a
digital camera due to the crisp look of the photograph. Moreover, I used an aperture of f/4.5 and a shutter speed
of 1/60 because the objects around them are not the ones becoming blurry anymore however, they can’t
recognise themselves now due to the influence of social media, pills and the fear of the “outside world” – all
which have been captured throughout the series. Furthermore, hands denote personal touch implying that
secretly, they want to be able to venture to the “outside world” as they have tried to reach for the window which
closes the series on a hopeful note. The camera has been positioned at a low angle shot to demonstrate that the
process of healing will take a long time, as they have sustained vulnerable throughout the series of images
however the audience feel optimistic about their future.

ANALYSE:
Firstly, the lighting used in this image is quite unnerving as if you look towards the right, you can see a slight
shadow which could signify that although they seem to be reaching out for help, from their viewpoint, there will
always be something trying to ruin it – leaving them trapped in darkness. However, you could also suggest that
bright lighting is used on their hand so no matter what occurs, they will sustain their happiness and also, their
hand is positioned above the clock, inferring that they will take their time to get better. When discussing
composition, you can identify that this photograph demonstrates rule of thirds which helps draw the viewer’s
eye into the image and places more emphasis on the main subject (hand). Also, I used a lower aperture and a
shallow depth of field to create a blurry effect on the person’s hand which goes to show that not only have they
deteriorated from the world around them, but they also have started to lose themselves however the audience
can praise them as they are still trying to reach out for help, which they will only receive by coming face to face
with the “outside world”. Furthermore, not only is this photograph a low angle but it is also a close up –
demonstrating that this person is starting to feel more connected even though they are still vulnerable which the
audience will be proud of. Lastly, I would print this image large because it is an achievement that should be
shown off and also, it would encourage a group experience as they could discuss if they have overcome any
battles during lockdown.

EVALUATE:
I believe the most effective technique I used was lighting because it leaves the audience questioning what may
happen to this person: will they be quick enough to reach out for help or will darkness consume them yet again?
Therefore, I feel you can clearly tell I was influenced by Bex Day as I brought positives and negatives into this
image which she wanted to focus on for her “Seesaw” series. However, I feel to improve I could have
experimented with different shot sizes too see if I zoomed out/zoomed in more, would it have strengthened the
meaning I wanted to communicate: how mental health has affected people under enforced isolation.