Questioning Perception

For this project I focused on the early stages of childhood where a child’s outlook on life is unbiased and simplistic. I wanted to convey this through staged photography focused around a simple narrative of a ‘date night’ or evening dinner between two people. The unidentified figures could be newly met but the dynamic that is built and the stress that grows during the night indicates a more domestic and familiar relationship.

 

 

Editing:

This relationship is also supported by the warm colours that I chose to use. The split between red and green suggests contrasting individuals; however, in some shots, the opposing hues separate the scene, representing a physical and emotional distance between these two people. On the other hand, sometimes these colours can be seen blending together, forming a warm tone to the image as the two people connect. Displaying the photos on a black page, I laid them out in a two by three formation, allowing the black borders to sink into the background. I took a step back and slowly watched as a new image formed, like a bigger window holding various memories within each pane of glass.

 

 

Cinematography:

I wanted to explore unpredictable and unusual perspectives to provoke feelings as opposed to capturing the scene as a whole. These snippets and fragments of the evening are pulled together to show the diversity of the two people’s dynamics. Some perspectives I experimented with included external viewpoints, looking inwards through the windows suggests an onlooker’s eye line in an almost ‘spying’ notion similar to Edward Hopper. Observing the situation from an external position allows the viewer to see unfamiliar people represent a relatable situation. Relating back to looking at the world through the raw eyes of a child, I explored angles through doorways and upstairs windows, hinting at the viewer being another person in the house, a child, someone who knows these people (perhaps their parents) but is distant from this foreign situation. As some of the adults’ features are obscured or covered, there is an emotional distance between them and the viewer. Another angle I experimented with is positioning the people behind a wine glass, allowing the droplets and glass to morph and stretch the subjects. This altered perspective could hint at alcohol playing a role in this relationship or simply representing the age gap between the child and the adults.

 

 

Directing:

In order to make the photos feel relatable for everyone, I kept clothing and props simple and generic, allowing viewers to focus on the story. To convey a stressful dynamic, I had the two subjects talk using their body language, utilising their hands and faces as canvases to tell a narrative of struggles and stress.

 

 

Sound:

I created a repetitive loop of sound to enhance the atmosphere of my photography and immerse viewers in the scene. Cutlery and civilised eating sounds can be heard in one ear, and distant, muffled arguing can be heard in the other. These juxtaposing sounds are merged together with an eerie white noise, creating a disjunct swell of events, like the mind of an overwhelmed child.

Done