Blair Academy Photography
How can photography be a medium for mental health exploration? The intention behind my portfolio is to emphasize my ability to learn about others experiences with mental health. And capture the positive and negative methods of addressing one's issues. I began with my personal experience: Image 1 is important because of my brother's battle with drug abuse, which is when I came up with the idea to isolate the color of objects, such as the pill bottle, to articulate how unhealthy habits can become obsessions. I began interviewing models before shoots in order to incorporate their experiences in the photos. In Image 3 the absence of a background was used to reflect the modes use of guitar to, in her own words, “disappear into her music”. My next step was to interview the school counselor who provided insight to create Images 10 and 7, but Image 7 also reinstates the sense of authenticity expressed in Images 8. My initial plan was to end with an uber-colorful photo to signify the end of a mental health journey, but a journey with health does not have an “end”. My investigation has shown me the closest thing to an end comes in the form of the ability to bring color back into your frame.