Self-portrait with my….

… water bottle?

This bottle has been with me for almost 4 years of my life. In a way it is a significant object to me.

I remember almost losing it once and the happy feeling that I’ve felt when it was subsequently returned to me.

Also during this period when I had it, I’ve undergo a huge emotional and spiritual journey which transformed me drastically over the last 4 years.

My initial idea was to illustrate the journey process, the ups and downs that I’ve been through when I have the bottle.

Below are some examples:

04_to nourish oneself 06_are meant to be broken 02_feeling trapped

 

One problem came from the shoot: THE STORY.

Story was not able to convey very clearly through the chain of pictures, although honestly they were fun to shoot. One of the biggest factors was probably due to the lack of emotions to be conveyed by just one single object.

After browsing through, Prof Vlad indicated that the styles of the pictures are not coherent, thus there is a need to find more consistency in the pictures taken.

So… Story and Consistency. Basically that is everything. 🙁

Back on the thinking chair, I’ve realized that the bottle might not be the true symbolism behind ‘me’, because what if I really lost it in the past? Will that change the experiences that I will have had through the course of the past 4 years?

The answer was a flat out no. It’ll probably would not affect my life that much.

My brain then tried to search for an object that lasts, and there it was. My theme for this project. ‘Constants’

Time being contained in a jar.

‘Constants’ are things that I will like to capture in this project, things that will remain the same no matter what I lose or gain.

4 constants in life:

Gender (Birth)

Origins, parents (Aging)

Blood type (Sickness)

Loss (Death)

Fortunately, I was able to salvage a stack of objects that represents the 4 ideas perfectly.

However, something was missing, something with a more positive note. So the idea of an ‘illuminating heart’ came about.

Below are some of the shots that did not make it into the final product:

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Background is too dark, is not able to convey the message well, changed the fabric used as background to a lighter color.

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Color changed but position of watch is weird. Have to use a pencil to adjust the placement of the watch.

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‘Blood’ is not conveyed. It feels more like ‘wine’ due to the glass. Had to change the medium.

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Poor composition. Idea totally not conveyed from this picture. Background and concept is similar to another shot.

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Practicing for the actual shoot. Am using a real fire for the actual picture. Timer and slow shutter speed, have to hold that position for a long time.

To conclude, I plan convey a ‘self-portrait’ by showing things (mostly will give some facts about myself) that are constant in not only my life but for every single human being from the beginning of time. A bit ambitious, yes, but still have to try with all the new framing and technical skills that I’ve acquired from my generous friends.

Ideas and photography skills are improving day by day. Although frustrating, I feel very grateful to have my this assignment and many good friends to help push my creativity and techniques to its limit everyday. It is an enjoyable process.

 

-KJ