Born March 3rd 1997
Suzhou, China
Left Behind
Girl
Unwanted
Orphanage
1 year
Adopted
Kate
Mother, Father, Sister
New language
New culture
New life
Shy
Sad
Hurt
Child
Divorce
Alone
Art
Expression
Identity
Friendship
Love
This is the life of Kate in short without going into great detail. Kate has made the journey from being left at a train station as a baby, to being a loving friend and successful woman. She has been through bullying family problems, and heartbreak, but she is the most resilient person I know. Through my photos, I worked to show important aspects of Kate's life and her personality.
The first theme I felt necessary to consider was the theme of abandonment and loneliness. Kate has had to overcome the repercussions of abandonment many times in her life, most notably the initial literal abandonment by her birth mother. To portray this, I placed Kate outside in the middle of snow, with trees in the background. The environment, and the blanket draped around her, alludes to a lost or homeless person; however, the photo is shot in direct natural light. I used this to represent the idea of fate and give a natural organic feel. Although she is alone and seemingly small in the picture, the photograph gives off a mood of peacefulness due to the white, her slight smile, and the direct natural light. Although the struggles Kate had to overcome were destructive in some way, this is the life she was given and what she has been through has made her the hardworking, caring person she is today. This photo shows almost a coming to peace with the past, and making it into something beautiful.
The next theme that came to mind was reservation. I have known Kate over 11 years. When we were younger, in elementary school, she was the quietest girl I knew. This had a lot to do with her past and her new family. As we got older, we naturally became better friends and she opened up more. I would still consider her a shy girl in public; however, among friends she is funny, loud, and happy. To show this, I situated Kate on a stool with tape over her mouth. I used artificial split lighting to show the dual personalities I see in her. This photograph also represents the tension within her, regarding her home situation and difficult decisions she has to make.
Another aspect of Kate's life I wanted to convey is entrapment. I did this using the window, as she is in between the window board and the window. This theme can also be seen in the photo where she is between the two curtains; however, in this photo the viewer may also see themes of peace and happiness from the use of white and existing light.
The final shot exhibits Kate's endurance and ability to withstand harsh conditions. She is photographed in the shade in a cold, snowy environment. She is not dressed for the elements and is exposed, but her face is peaceful and relaxed. This photo demonstrates Kate's resilience and bravery as she is able to overcome so much.
Kate is also a beautiful person inside and out, and I made use of composition in my collection to frame her and portray her in a more glamorous and peaceful way.
From this assignment I learned that photography is truly writing with light. The light in a photograph can effect the way the subject looks, and impression the viewer gets. Lighting has the power to drastically change a photograph, and I can't wait to experiment with it more.
