Illustration

For my illustrative photo, I had a few ideas I wanted to work with.

Being a senior, the stress of working a part time job and dealing with homework late into the night is definitely no stranger. I wanted to capture both the stress and anxiety of having to deal with this, as well as the isolation that working so late into the night brings. Personally, I can remember plenty of nights where I never left the school until 3 in the morning because I didn't have a chance to complete my assignments at any other time of day.

The other idea I wanted to toy with was the issue of how technology runs our lives, and just how prevalent it is on a day-to-day basis. A few ideas ran through my head to illustrate this: the abundance of cords running across my bedroom floor, how each and every person has a device or two buzzing in their pockets, or how we use our phones for everything from GPS mapping to checking what the weather has in store for the afternoon. Unfortunately, I never got the chance or could think of a viable way to pull off a singular shot in that vein without severe editing work. However, I did find a way to capture both my aforementioned issue of late-night schooling stress, and bring with it the essence of a dependence on technology.

1/40s f5.6 55mm

The first photo I took was a shoulder-shot with the student in focus, leaving the computer to illuminate her face. The DSU Canvas website can be made out in the background, giving the frame some context. I wanted to shoot at least a few of my take as tight as possible, to utilize a shallow depth of field.

3.2/s f5.6 55mm

This photo was much more experimental, and didn't quite come out the way that I hoped. I tried many different angles and shutter speeds, but this was the closest to what I wanted to capture. The still keyboard with the motion in the hands shows urgency in the subject's actions. The only thing I wish I could have captured was her facial expression while typing, with only her hands being motion-blurred. This shows more of the dependence on technology than stress.

1/40s f3.5 18mm

These last two photos are my absolute favorite. I wanted to show the weight of the situation as well as capture the isolation and frustration, and this frame captures it all perfectly. The great big shadow cast on the wall shows the scope of what the subject is dealing with, in contrast to the subject herself it is absolutely enormous. The look on her face is a mix of concentration and anxiety, and the only source of light is the computer screen, giving the impression that she';s there alone.

1/40s f3.5 18mm

This project was one of my favorites. Being able to illustrate and editorialize a little more than shooting for news is a bit more up my alley. Being a film student I always jump at the chance to tell a story within a frame.