Fragments of Reality (created as an investigation for a college portfolio using vibrant colors and mixed media techniques)
Size: 12 x 16
Process Images of Digital Negatives and Cyanotypes
I wanted to create a fantasy―an image that was real in the moment but was then distorted to tell a new story. I have found my passion for photography through storytelling, and it was important to me to convey my journey in this image. The process to create my piece evolved as my project progressed. I focused principally on the medium of photography, but adapted my image along the way to result in a mixed-media piece.
To start, I did a studio-style photo shoot that incorporated themes of my previous photography work. The most prevalent theme in my artwork is the use of bright colors. I believe that introducing or magnifying colors in photos create visual cues to help guide the eyes of the viewer across the image and draw attention to the details I want to highlight. I am also inspired by the relationship between color and emotion, and my AP art portfolio specifically investigated this relationship. Much of my photography work has subsequently followed that pattern. Through portraiture photography, I have found that integrating color can help dictate the mood or amplify the emotion expressed by the subject.
For my project, I used LED lights, colored gels and saturated clothing to emphasize certain colors. In post-production, I edited color contrast and overlayed my images to create a double exposure effect, drawing attention to the model’s expression. I chose images that emphasized small details while also incorporating a larger image of the studio set.
A year ago, I began experimenting with cyanotyping and created a 32-part multi-colored piece that was selected for display in a Laguna Beach art gallery. I thoroughly enjoyed the process and wanted to continue experimenting with it. Although cyanotypes are typically chemically produced with a bright blue color, for this project I used green tea and coffee to stain the prints. I wanted to include this artistic method while keeping the primary emphasis on my photography. I additionally decided to watercolor the background of the canvas to add vibrancy to the coloring and create another layer of depth. Finally, I overlayed my cyanotypes and photography, thereby completing the depiction of my fantasy.