Intentions
Tackle the stigma that people with ill mental health cannot be valuable members of society.
Highlight the importance of simply being there for a friend.
Demonstrate the fact that you cannot know who is suffering from a mental health condition; we are all "normal" and go about our daily lives the same as everyone else.
Successes
Using the same model as in other shoots, I was able to show a more everyday side to someone with a mental health condition. She doesn't look tormented or brooding - she simply looks normal. She's happy.
Taking photos of the coffee cups allowed me to touch on the importance of having a support network and taking time out of our busy lives to be there for each other.
Improvements
Even though nobody confronted me or asked me to stop, I felt extremely self-conscious when taking photos of people in the street. This resulted in only a small selection of images, ones with which I am not completely happy.
I was unable to capture images for the self-portrait. Initially, I wanted to create a before and after comparison of a panic attack. However, the only two panic attacks I had were when I was shopping and didn't have my camera or phone to hand. While I am glad that my panics are becoming less frequent, this meant I had no real opportunities to take the photographs that I wanted. It was important to me not to stage the photos, as I wanted this self-portrait to be an authentic glimpse into the reality of living with an anxiety disorder.
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