DESCRIBE:

In the photograph you can see that it is in colour, portrait, rectangular, digital, eye level angle, slow shutter
speed, medium aperture, deep depth of field, low contrast, leading lines and captures the contrast between
myself and my mum.

EXPLAIN:
I chose for this photograph to be portrait because it allows the audience to see the full length of the stairs,
therefore seeing my melancholy body language which helps the audience depict a clear contrast between my
mum and I. Secondly, you can identify that this image was shot using a digital camera due to the crisp look of
the photograph and I also used an aperture of f/11, a shutter speed of 1/25 and I adjusted the contrast to -2
however, I went on to decrease the contrast of photograph further as -2 was too dark. Moreover, you can see in
the photograph that my mum is cleaning which denotes that not only is she a busy person, but it also illustrates
that she may find enjoyment in cleaning to distract herself from the realities within her life. Also, we are both
wearing comfortable clothing however, I am wearing black clothes whereas my mum is wearing bright blue
coloured clothing which signifies that I feel more detached and upset in comparison to my mum, making it seem
like she does not care. Lastly, the camera has been positioned at an eye level angle to not only set the scene but
also demonstrate how my mum and I have been feeling after our argument, further implying that nobody has
‘won’.

ANALYSE:
Interestingly, the window lighting from the living room plays a crucial part in developing the meaning of this
photograph as it makes my mum look brighter in comparison to the dark lighting overshadowing me which
gives the impression that because the situation never directly affected my mum, she is able to pretend like
nothing ever happened through getting on with her life whereas I am constantly going to feel gloom and upset,
as my body language helps to visualise due to the fact my arms are resting on my knees as I look down
hopelessly. This notion is further emphasised due to the text added in front of my face which depicts “ur such a
joke.” as not only does it reflect the perspective of somebody who is watching me through cameras, but it also
emphasises a potential thought that is on my mind. The text itself signifies that whoever is watching me, is
youthful as they use slang for “your” and they also have clear intentions to scare me through the use of the full
stop as it connotes a sense of seriousness. Furthermore, this photograph also demonstrates leading lines in a few
ways as we can see it shown in the hallway that leads up to the doorframe of the living room that draws the
audience’s attention to my mum however, it is also shown as the left side of the stairs (from the audience’s
perspective) and the bannister help draw the audience’s focus to me therefore, it suggests that both subject
matters are important. Also, the eye level angle may confuse the audience as from some people’s perspective, I
look the most powerful as I am higher up than my mum however other people may believe that my mum is more
powerful as she seems to have a confident stance and looks ultimately happier than me. Lastly, the deep depth of
field further highlights how each element of the photograph is important to understanding the meaning and if the
photograph had a shallow depth of field, I think the audience would be confused whose perspective this image
was taken from.

EVALUATE:
I believe the most effective techniques used in this photograph is the contrast of lighting as it creates a clear
contrast between how each person feels after a heated argument. However, I think to improve I could have
experimented with using a close-up shot as it may have intensified the situation further therefore, worrying the
audience. Overall, it is obvious that this photograph was influenced by Aaron Schuman as I have added text
within the image that provides further context as the audience find out the opinions of the person watching me
through a camera and I also feel you can identify that I was inspired by Duane Michals due to the fact I have
started my series with an establishing shot that acts as a way to set the scene.

DESCRIBE:
In the photograph you can see that it is in black and white, portrait, rectangular, digital, eye level angle, slow
shutter speed, medium aperture, deep depth of field, low contrast, leading lines and captures me reaching out
behind a bannister.

EXPLAIN:
I chose for this photograph to be portrait because it emphasises the notion of isolation, which has been a
reoccurring feeling throughout this narrative therefore, illustrating that it is a feeling I feel the most. This
photograph focuses more on the isolation from society as the camera watching her can’t directly reach her as the
bannister acts a barrier. Secondly, you can identify that this image was shot using a digital camera due to the
crisp look of the photograph and I also used an aperture of f/11, a shutter speed of 1/20 and I adjusted the
contrast to -2 to highlight the dark atmosphere surrounding the photograph. Furthermore, the fact I am reaching
out denotes that I desperately want to escape from the situation however, through the barrier it looks like I will
not be able to which worries the audience as they fear how I could decline mentally. I am also wearing my
hoodie which gives negative connotations of mystery as if I am hiding away from someone or something, which
is the case. Lastly, the camera has been positioned at an eye level angle to give false hope to the audience as
they are eager to reach out and hold my hand, making them feel immersed within the narrative as they feel like
heroes.

ANALYSE:
The use of black and white implies that even from the perspective of the camera, I seem to be struggling with
understanding my feelings which may spiral out of control very quickly. It also helps exemplify the solemn
atmosphere to the series due to the fact no colour is visible within the photograph therefore, the audience can
solely focus on discovering the meaning behind the image. The text also helps emphasise the meaning as it
depicts “escape from this? NEVER.” which suggests that by my hand reaching out, I am trying to escape
however it is not clear what I am trying to escape from which leads the audience questioning: is she trying to
escape from the situation, her emotions, from the person watching her through the camera or a mix of all three?
The use of the capitalised letters in “NEVER” is used to scare not only the audience but also me however, I feel
I could have changed my facial expression to make me look more nervous about this text message and this
would have portrayed more emotion to the audience. Furthermore, the use of the bannisters as a barrier acts as a
way to divide me from society as if I am not allowed to return to my “old” life and the eye level angle makes the
audience feel guilty as the audience have been accepted into society whereas I have not. The bannister also
demonstrates leading lines as they emphasise the main focus of the photograph which is my face therefore,
making it the centre of the image. Moreover, to achieve some blurriness around my hand, not only did I set the
shutter speed to 1/20 but I also moved my hand frantically while the image was being captured and this helps
represent the movement of my hand as it goes forward to reach for the camera as if I know somebody is
watching me however, I am too weak to do anything about it and there are obstacles in the way.

EVALUATE:
I believe the most effective technique used in this photograph is the use of leading lines as it clearly represents
an existing division between myself and society, also forcing the audience to be in an uncomfortable position.
However, I think to improve I could have experimented with angles as, perhaps, a higher angle would have truly
captured the fact that I am physically weak and do not have the energy to try and “escape” anyway. Overall, it is
obvious that this photograph was influenced by Aaron Schuman as I have added text within the image that
provides further context as the audience find out the opinions of the person watching me through a camera and I
also feel you can identify that I was inspired by Duane Michals due to the fact the blurriness of my hand depicts
movement in time, which he created very cleverly.

DESCRIBE:
In the photograph you can see that it is in black and white, portrait, rectangular, digital, high angle, slow shutter
speed, medium aperture, deep depth of field, low contrast and captures me reaching out to the camera.

EXPLAIN:
I chose for this photograph to be portrait because it emphasises the notion of isolation, which has been a
reoccurring feeling throughout this narrative therefore, illustrating that it is a feeling I feel the most. This
photograph focuses more on the isolation from myself, as I finally start to feel that I have lost myself. Secondly,
you can identify that this image was shot using a digital camera due to the crisp look of the photograph and I
also used an aperture of f/11, a shutter speed of 1/4 and I adjusted the contrast to -2 to highlight the dark
atmosphere surrounding the photograph. Furthermore, the fact I am reaching out denotes that I desperately want
to escape from the situation however, the slight blurriness of me could signify that there is no hope for that
dream to come true as it will always affect my mindset and everything around me. Also, I have got my other
hand resting on my leg to connote shyness, as I am scared to reach out for help. Lastly, the camera has been
positioned at a high angle to not only make me look weak but also, to demonstrate that the aftermath from the
situation is far from over as there are still some people who have authority over my life.

ANALYSE:
In this photograph, the added text and the image itself complement each other very well as the text depicts
“mind games? GOOD.” and a visual representation is provided to the audience as I am slightly blurry (due to
the use of a slow shutter speed and a medium aperture) which illustrates that my thoughts are all over the place
and I am struggling to think clearly. You could suggest that because the photograph is in black and white, it
gives a ghostly atmosphere to the photograph therefore, the future for me is far from bright which worries the
audience as they hope for me to conquer this situation. Furthermore, the audience can assume that I am
receiving these text messages from the person who is spying on me because whatever they text, I respond to it
therefore, you could argue that the reason my arm is reaching out is because I want this person to stop
controlling me. This notion is further reinforced through the high angle as it makes me look like I have lost all
self-worth and I am allowing somebody to manipulate how I feel. This angle also forces the audience to be put
into an uncomfortable position which could make them feel that they have the power to control how the
narrative unfolds although this may be too late as the blurriness demonstrates how I have lost myself. Moreover,
the framing of the photograph also portrays the idea that I have lost myself because I am positioned in the corner
of the stairs which could suggest that I have lost my confidence that I once had and I have become a lot shyer,
through my body language such as putting my other hand on my leg and crossing my legs together. Lastly, you
can identify how much these text messages hurt me as even ones from earlier have featured in this photograph
and they have stacked on top of one another, potentially reflecting how they are stacked in my mind.

EVALUATE:
I believe the most effective technique used in this photograph is the use of the slow shutter speed and medium
aperture as it clearly represents an unstable mindset that is all over the place. However, I think to improve I
could have experimented with shot size as, perhaps, a close-up shot may have intensified the narrative to a great
extent and worry the audience even more as you may have been able to see the pain on my face. Overall, it is
obvious that this photograph was influenced by Aaron Schuman as I have added text within the image that
provides further context as the audience find out the opinions of the person watching me through a camera and I
also feel you can identify that I was inspired by Duane Michals due to the fact the blurriness of my hand depicts
movement in time, which he created very cleverly.

DESCRIBE:
In the photograph you can see that it is in black and white, portrait, rectangular, digital, high angle, fast shutter
speed, low aperture, deep depth of field, low contrast and captures me laying down with my hands covering my
face.

EXPLAIN:
I chose for this photograph to be portrait because it emphasises the notion of isolation, which has been a
reoccurring feeling throughout this narrative therefore, illustrating that it is a feeling I feel the most. This
photograph focuses more on the isolation from my childhood, as you can see the teddies either side of me which
connote innocence. Secondly, you can identify that this image was shot using a digital camera due to the crisp
look of the photograph and I also used an aperture of f/9, a shutter speed of 1/80 and I adjusted the contrast to -2
to highlight the dark atmosphere surrounding the photograph. Furthermore, the fact I am laying down and
covering my face implies how upset and weak I feel as I now can’t even bring myself to face any form of
interaction with anybody. Lastly, the camera has been positioned at a high angle to not only make me look weak
but also, to demonstrate that the aftermath from the situation is far from over as there are still some people who
have authority over my life.

ANALYSE:
In this photograph, the text depicts “GAME OVER.” which can give the impression that perhaps I have been
finally “defeated” in the sense that no matter how much I try to regain my innocence and the control over my
life, it will not work as there will always be powerful figures trying to ruin it such as my parents, the person
spying on me and also complete strangers. Also, the phrase “GAME OVER.” has connotations of video games
which suggests that the person watching me is treating my life as a bit of fun without realising how much their
actions are affecting me (as you can see through my body language, my hands are over my face implying that I
am stressed about the whole situation). Furthermore, one teddy is placed either side of me which may make the
audience feel hopeful for my future as I may be able to regain my innocence however, neither of them are facing
me which may suggest that my childhood is gravitating away from me despite this whole situation, so it is
inevitable for me to regain anything from my past. Perhaps, if I used a slower shutter speed it would have
exemplified the distance I feel from everything, including my family, friends and the society around me despite
that, the fast shutter speed demonstrates the how clever the person spying on me is as they know how to execute
their clear plan to make me feel weak.

EVALUATE:
I believe the most effective technique used in this photograph is the use of experimentation through the added
text as because it is central of the image, it captures the ultimate motive behind the person spying on me.
However, I think to improve I could have experimented with compositional techniques such as leading lines as
it may have helped draw the audience’s attention to the teddies as well as me. Overall, it is obvious that this
photograph was influenced by Aaron Schuman as I have added text within the image that provides further
context as the audience find out the opinions of the person watching me through a camera and I also feel you
can identify that I was inspired by Duane Michals due to the fact throughout the series, I have guided the
audience through a narrative.