Janice Lim (31206409)

MCC 108 - Introduction to Photography

I have thought of many different themes for my final portfolio, and have settled upon the following
few. I would outline the idea behind the photos, and then touch upon the different permissions or
possible obstacles I would meet, and then the various equipment that would be required to make
my project feasible.

My first idea is to expose the window to the soul, namely eyes. I was thinking of capturing images of
different people’s eyes, with varying shades and colours. Also, I was hoping to see if I could make the
subject emote different emotions, and see if the camera would be able to capture that. For example,
the dilation of the pupil etc.

I think with this idea, I want to portray the eyes as a completely different entity from the person. It is
capable of emotion, of existing as a complete individual. When these photos are taken, I hope to
make the colours of the eyes really stand out, so that it will be a colourful portfolio that really stuns.
It would also serve to remind the audience what I am trying to show, that the eyes are truly the
window to the soul, that there is a lot more to them than just a feature on your face.

With this idea, I was thinking of using different ways of lighting. Firstly, I am sure that I would need
very strong lights, to light up the eyes, so as to ensure that there would be no shadows captured in
the photos. Secondly, I was thinking of experimenting with bouncing the lights off of coloured
surfaces, and see what effect it would take on the colours of the eyes. Perhaps it would allow the
eyes to take on different colours that would otherwise not exist, therefore providing the photos with
the mythical look that I am aiming for.

As this project involves close examination of the subject’s eyes, I would assume that special
permission would have to be gained from the subject. I am not sure what adverse effects strong
lights would have on the eyes, so I would have to research into that. Hopefully, there would not be
any problems. If not, I suppose I can find a way around it, like covering the lights with fabric, to
soften the light, yet still having enough to light up the subject.
This is an example of what I would like to achieve my first idea. The colours are too intense not to
have digitally enhanced, but I hope to get something close to this.

My second idea consists of showcasing difference street scenes of Perth city. I do not know as yet as
to what I would be photographing exactly, but I do know that the photos will showcase the social
divide in Perth between the rich and poor, dirty and clean, “right” and “wrong” behaviour.

I feel that there is a lot of negligence on the port of the locals here when it comes to realizing that
there is a social divide. With this portfolio, I hope to display the contrast between the haces and
have-nots and draw the audience into each scene, to instill in them the idea that the world around
them consists more than themselves.

With this project I hope to use natural light to light up the scenes, and also because this will be
photographing real life scenes, I do not think that carrying lights around the city would be a
particularly good idea, or a subtle one. I intend to experiment with difference colour schemes. Like
using warm colours for the “rich” class, and cool colours for the “poor” class, to further enhance the
differences between them. This would create a bigger impact as colour can be a great way of
expressing pain, hunger, sadness, and also, happiness, contentment, love etc.

An example of the “poor” pictures.

An exampleof the “rich” pictures.

As you can tell, it will not be just about social wealth, its also about an attitude towards living.

I hope to further expand on these ideas, and maybe incorporate different ideas.