Despite the efforts to raise awareness about mental health, there are many people who are still subject to the stigma associated with mental illness. My aim was to use five photographic genres to highlight the daily struggles of these people, and to illustrate the thoughts and feelings they battle against.
My location portraiture was designed to show how people facing stigma can feel invisible and alone, and to illustrate the disconnect between thoughts and perception in relation to both the world and the self. The main technique I focused on was long exposure to cause the solid image of my motionless model to contrast with the ghostly, translucent impressions of the passers-by. These images successfully raise questions about reality. As it was a bright day, I had to use an ND filter in addition to my tripod to allow for a sufficiently slow shutter speed. I intended to also shoot long exposure images of the model moving her hands in front of her eyes, but this didn’t come out as I had hoped. I then opted to create some double exposure images in Photoshop, but this was also unsuccessful. Fortunately, one of the photos I shot for the double exposures was a strong enough portrait in its own right; her blank, emotionless stare juxtaposed with the bright, lively surroundings also represents dissociation and a disconnect with reality.
I shot my social documentary images in the same place as my location portraits, with the intention of capturing images of “normal” people going about their daily lives, regardless of the mental health conditions they may be battling behind closed doors. I was concerned that, as we were shooting in public, people would confront me or ask me to stop taking photos. This meant that I felt extremely self-conscious shooting images that would feature people other than my model. Nobody did confront me, and we received no negative feedback – in fact, a homeless man asked us what we were doing and if he could join in. It was quite humbling to talk to him and explain a bit about my project, especially given that he was a victim of the stigma surrounding mental health and vulnerable people. For this genre, I also shot images in a coffee shop. I wanted to establish the importance of having a support network and taking time to be with friends. While I was successful in that endeavour, I feel that this section of my work was the weakest and least impactful, as they need more of an explanation to be understood.
Some of the most impactful images, however, were my still life photos. Using black Perspex underneath a handful of white pills created a stark contrast that shines a spotlight on how vital a finely tuned medication regimen can be to an individual. People rarely see the inner struggles of a person suffering with ill mental health, especially their persistent negative thoughts and low self-esteem. I had hoped to show recovery in some of these images, but most of them are quite negative. I could have put more thought into how best to show healing. Unfortunately, I was also unable to capture the range of shots I wanted as some props, like the skull and ram’s horn, were unavailable at the time. I could have re-shot with them at another time.
Another shoot I could have returned to was for my landscape images. I would have liked to go back to take photos in various weather conditions, particularly mist and fog, with the intention of representing the theme of peace and tranquillity despite a person’s troubles. When it was overcast and the clouds were only getting thicker, I took the opportunity to go to the beach in order to capture images of a turbulent sea with imposing clouds overhead. These photos successfully portray a sense of unrest and isolation. The vast sea together with the heavy cloud creates an uneasy feeling of both insignificance and claustrophobia.
My most successful images were in my studio portraiture section. I shot both black and white film and digital, aiming to represent the inner turmoil and loss of identity an individual may feel. I particularly enjoyed the creative process in the dark room and experimenting by burning my images to emphasise the concept of being both instigator and victim. Some of these images, however, have imperfections caused by my lack of experience in the dark room. In addition to the dark images with negative connotations, it was important to me to convey peace and healing. I successfully managed this by using poppies to evoke a sense of hope, as poppies only grow once the ground has been disturbed. Through death and destruction comes a sprig of hope, revival and vibrant beauty; through depression and despair comes an appreciation for the vibrancy of joy and a hope for health and a new life. Therefore, I chose for my A2 print a digital photo with the redness of the poppies contrasting with the blackness surrounding them – to counter the stigma around mental illness, I am promoting wellness and hope.
In addition to my A2 print, I have created a booklet with fifteen of my favourite images, covering all genres. This selection of photos touches on a vast range of things a person with a mental health condition may face, from feelings of isolation, inner turmoil and loss of identity, to the concept of hope and recovery. My booklet shows both the negative sides of mental illness like anxiety and dissociation, and the positive, stigma-breaking aspects that bring the conversation around mental health to a place of normalcy.
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