Intentions
Illustrate the loss of identity and inner turmoil a person may feel when battling a mental health condition.
Symbolise rebirth and renewal with poppies, signifying a hope beyond illness and despair.
Use symbols of death to convey both the fear being condemned to a life of sickness and the perseverance to fight against it.
Successes
I was able to capture many successful images with both the film camera and the DSLR. I am happy with how many of them turned out and enjoyed the creative process in the dark room. My favourite photo from this series is the one where I used a blowtorch to burn through the model's face and layered that with other copies of the same image to really emphasise the concept of being both instigator and victim.
It was important to me to not only shoot dark images with negative connotations, but to also convey peace, rebirth, and healing. Many of the images with the poppies successfully evoke a sense of hope.
Improvements
I was unable to use some of the props I had initially planned for. These included the skull and the ram's horn, which were in use elsewhere, and the mirror, which I was unable to make safe after cracking it. I could have organised another shoot when the props were available.
Some of the film pictures have imperfections caused by my lack of experience in the dark room. I would like to learn more about different techniques to use when developing these images and apply this in future projects.
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