Self Triptych

Photo #1:

Earbuds: This symbolizes how much I love to listen to music.

Reflection: This symbolizes what I 'see' when I think about what aspects of my life are the most important and specific to me.

Music notes on my forehead: I included the music notes specifically on my forehead because I am always thinking about music. Songs are always playing in my head and since I play the viola, I am always thinking about what I can play or improve on next.

Music notes on my mouth: This specifically symbolizes the fact that I have been learning Indian classical vocal music ever since I was four, and you can always find me singing something. 

Music notes in general: Because I am always listening to many genres of music or singing or playing it myself, I believe it to be a huge part of who I am.

Picture of Mesa Arch on my heart: This is present in my photo because I went on a three-week long roadtrip to Utah (the Arches), Bryce and Zion, Grand Canyon, Phoenix, and California last summer. That road trip will always be in my heart because it exposed me to so many different places I had never seen before, and it was what got me interested in photography, which I know I will pursue as a hobby for the rest of my life.

Why reflection is brighter: This symbolizes how I value my personality more than my exterior.

Dark Clothing: I made the choice to wear dark clothing so the focus was on what was present in my reflection.

Photo #2:

Me, running: This symbolizes my love for running long distances for fun.

Blurred street: This represents how I am only focused on what is in front of me when I am running.

Grand Canyon sunset: This is included in my photo because my mind feels as calm and free as a sunrise or sunset in the canyons when I am running.

Photo #3:

Multiple Arms: This represents my Indian heritage, because many Indian gods and goddesses have multiple arms or heads. It also symbolizes the many aspects of my personality and hobbies.

Bright Lighting: This symbolizes the fact that I like the particular aspects of my personality present in the picture.

Indian Flag and American Flag: These flags represent my Indian heritage and ancestry, but also my American citizenship and way of life since I was born.

Books: The books represent my lifelong love of reading.

Dictionary: This represents my love of languages and peculiar words.

Sunscreen and Sunglasses: These symbolize my love of the sun and summertime, which is when I am the happiest.

Responses:

Backward-Looking:

    I went through a long process to produce this work. After much thinking and brainstorming for ideas, it took many tries to get the photographs exactly as I wanted them. It also took three whole class periods to manipulate the photos in Adobe Photoshop and figure out what tools would be the best to accomplish my vision. Incorporating old photos was very helpful as well, because I had much more freedom in thinking of ideas. 

    However, I encountered many problems as well. I remember being frustrated for a few days because it was difficult to think of ideas, mainly considering the fact that I had already used a lot of the symbolism I had previously thought of in my clone photos. However, after much thinking and bouncing ideas off of others, I was able to come up with what I thought was central to myself as a person. It really meant digging deeper than the surface to find out who I really am. It also took many tries to get the photographs right, especially as I wanted to make the work as realistic and polished as possible.

Inward-Looking:

    As I worked on this piece, I learned many things about myself. At first, I thought that it would be impossible for me to think of ideas I would actually be satisfied with. However, I learned that with patience and extensive thinking, I could achieve exactly what I wanted. Also, before I did this piece, if someone asked me to describe myself it would have been a struggle because I have never really sat down and thought about it. But after I did this piece, I can now understand and explain a few things about myself without giving much thought. I have also learned that I can make photography my own by incorporating things that I value instead of always relying on other sources to be my subjects.

    I think the most satisfying part of this piece was manipulating the photos in Adobe Photoshop. I really enjoyed taking what seemed to be ordinary photos and turning them into something I never imagined. I especially enjoy multiple exposures for that reason, because they are something you cannot achieve without some kind of manipulation. My favorite photo to manipulate was the multiple arms photo because it allowed me to create something I never believed I could create. It was fun to play around with all of the features that would allow me to watch different photos slowly blend into one complex photo. I also love to watch people look at manipulated photos and wonder what it took to make such a photo.

Outward-Looking:

    I did not do my work the way others did theirs, because I believe that each person's work is their own and has to reflect them as an individual, not others. I wanted my photos to be a symbol of my style in producing subject matter and presenting them. I also wanted my work to be remembered for being something unique.

    If someone else were looking at my work, I think the one thing they would understand about me the most is that music is a big part of my life. It is extensively portrayed in my reflection photo in many forms. I think people would also gain a sense that I am really into exploring new places and being outdoors, because these traits are again portrayed in many ways across the work. They would also conclude that my culture is a big part of who I am, because it is embodied in my work as well.

Forward-Looking:

    One thing I would like to try and improve upon is paying attention to the lighting and focus in my photos. I think this would add to the effectiveness of my work and could appeal to those looking at my photo more. Overall, I am pretty satisfied with my piece, but I would like to try and incorporate even more drama, facial expressions and peculiar items that stand for unexpected symbolism in future projects.

    One thing that I have seen in my classmates' pieces that I would like to try is using my silhouette and placing a background or objects in it. I would like to try this, because I have seen this style in many modern photos and I believe it can make viewers wonder more about what is going on in the photo.