Photography by Rachel: October 2015

Top: SS:1/25, f-stop: 3.0, ISO: 200
Bottom: SS: 1/25, f-stop: 3.0, ISO: 200

When I first saw the assignment description I hadn't come up with any ideas immediately. After thinking about it for a while, I was still stumped because I didn't want to do sun and moon or earth and sky. I wanted something that could be a cohesive piece with elements of similarity as well as opposition. I though about what things contain contradiction and solidarity. I thought of myself, and the way I present myself, and the way I feel internally from hour to hour. Finding the opposition within myself was not hard. I could be soft and someone vulnerable in a situation where I am observed for my looks, such as walking into a room or class. This part of me is there, aware of judgements, but still confident in myself. Then I thought of my gym, and the way I feel when I workout, especially when I box. I feel a sense of agility and almost grace. Being somewhat new to this, I lose balance or mess up on form and I feel stupid, but continue. I feel powerful and strong because I know that I can get better. Stumbling and losing focus or stance, hitting the bag wrong and hurting my wrist, or whatever the mistake might be, is a reminder to me that I can improve. Allowing myself to feel vulnerable while I fight is similar to allowing the feeling of insecurity in social situations. I know that I am beautiful, and I know that I am strong. These emotions and sides of myself present themselves not only in boxing or new social situations, but in almost every situation that I experience in my life. Feeling beautiful and strong, or intelligent and capable can allow me to acknowledge my internal poles of self. I am one cohesive piece, one mind, and one body.

For the execution of this concept as it translates to photography, I had to accentuate these sides in physical representations. To do this, I wanted to find the best way to exaggerate these ideas. For the idea of vulnerability and beauty, I wanted to find a look that could represent this appropriately. Many factors went into creating a photo that expressed this. I wanted a pose, facial expression, and hair and make up look. Also, I wanted a simple background that could be transferred to the boxing photo for a smooth transition and congruity. For this, I had to find a balance of colors that could work with the lighting that was available in the photo studio. After setting up the backdrop, lighting, and camera, I put on more dramatic make up (like deep lipstick). Then, using a self timer, I took several photos in different poses. For the boxing photo, I used the same setup, but changed my physical look. I put on a hoodie, but my hair up, removed my make up, and put on my gloves. I had to find a different pose that illuminated the essence I had envisioned. So, I chose to hold my hands in fists in front of my face, which is crucial in boxing (to protect your face while boxing). I then chose a more intimidating stare for the completion of my appearance.

The last step in this project was to edit the photos. I first edited them separately to do touch ups. I created a cleaner and sharper image. I cleared blemished, cleaned up edges, and darkened and lightened certain things. Then I converted both images to black and white, raised the contrasted and vibrance, and adjusted curves. I then followed the instructions to put them together. Once they were side-by-side, I adjusted brightness and curves again to ensure the composition was as similar as possible. After that, I had the complete project.