Thursday, September 5, 2013

Altered States of Mind: Photography Collection

So last year this time I started my first year of college.

One of the electives I was immediately attracted to was Photography 1. It was a black and white photo class so I got to start with the very basics. I learned all about depth of field, composition, exposure, shutter speed, aperture, etc. I was thrilled.  In the course we had to develop our own film and "print" our own photos with an enlarger.


For the final every student had to shoot a collection of photos that had a common theme. That was the only criteria. I super overachieved with this project. I actually started the week we were given the assignment and worked hard on it til the very end. My theme was Altered States of Mind. I had also taken two psychology classes and really wanted to explore portraying my idea of different conditions/states of mind artistically. Here was my collection:

**Update 7/17/14: Photos made proper size. I was completely unaware of how to do this a year ago. This is one of the only posts(I hope) that I will go back and fix  like this, because I really care about these photos. Also I added some info about who modeled, if they didn't mind. 

Bipolar. Model: Anonymous

Dissociative Identity Disorder. Model: Me

Psychopathy. Model: Josh

Schizophrenia. Model: Ashley

Stress. Model: Anonymous

Synesthesia. Model Barrett


None of these photos were Photoshopped. Everything that is altered or manipulated about them was done so to the negative or the print itself.
**

I would love to know what you thought of my photos either as a whole or as individual pieces. I am really proud of this set because it is my first real collection of pieces with a common theme, like maybe something you would see in a museum. I feel like over all I learned a lot in this class that I will probably use in the rest of my life/artistic career. What would you guys say is a truly valuable skill you are glad you've learned?

Til Next Time!

RaCh

2 comments:

  1. Hi RaChil,
    I'm new to your blog. I just read your first line about breaking bad, and almost peed my pant's! lmao! Loved, loved that show, but I am in love with Blacklist now, so on we go to new things!
    I love your pictures! I had to make a comment! The Bi-polar and the Dissociative idenity disorder..The stress, is also very good, I like the other one too, but I hate disease's that people kill or hurt animals..IE: serial killers..YIKES..I have known 2 people in my lifetime that have had Dissociative idenity disorder, and one is still a friend to this day. There is not alot of other's who will, or can handle her changes and I find it fascinating. I had read somewhere once that the reason it is so confusing for some of the "other" personalities is because, Well, I dont know if you believe in re-incarntion or not, but all of us have many many lives. In their life, their lives are going on just like our's. Earth is the only place that time is linear, so lives dont nessacarily go one after the other, but some are going on right now in other dimentions, and what is happening, is her mind has access to the different lives, so if one is going on in the 1952s and she is 6 years old, and pops in here, and see's people talking on something smaller than a credit card, of course she will be scared to death, or if she is from even a different planet, can you imagine the reason she is so scared? There are quite a few that are children, and they are angry and scared. When I told her this, she said " This makes so much sence to me!" "how come a doctor has never told me this before?" I said, well maybe they just dont know? she said she often becomes so disorinated because the world looks so akward to her. The cars, the clothes, sometimes the people. That she doesnt know where to run to for help, or where to hide..It must be a very scary place to be indeed. It has always fascinated me for sure.
    Anyway, just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed your blog, your kitties, I am a kitty person too, but I have a dog too, I guess I just love all animals. If I had money I would just open a rescue! Best of luck with all you want to achive in life, and I will read that book!
    Much love,
    Rhonda M.

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    1. Hello Rhonda,
      Thanks for the comment! I need to find something to help me get past Breaking Bad too. I'm glad you have. I have never heard that theory for D.I.D. but it's very interesting to consider. Did you know the patient with the most recorded personalities had something like 19 different people living inside her? The human brain is one huge mystery :)
      I'm glad you like my blog and my kitties, I plan on posting lots more pictures of them later. Animals are another great passion of mine, I would adopt them all if I could. I hope you enjoy Born Weird! Let me know what you think.
      Thanks for all the kind words,
      RaCh

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