AP 2D Studio Art - 2022 Photography Portfolio
Sustained Investigation Theme: Phobias
What are you afraid of? In my sustained investigation, I explored the complexities of our phobias and why humans fear what we do. Through photography, digital manipulation, and mixed media, I examined physical and emotional fears and the different ways they can be perceived. Upon discovering this quote by philosopher Seneca, “we suffer more in imagination than in reality”, I was inspired to reflect on our phobias: why are we afraid of tiny things like spiders and big things like death or infinity? Choosing personal fears, I used my camera to understand, convey, and accept them; the very process of framing the galaxy with my viewfinder grounded it into reality, making it less mysterious and frightening. Through my art, I hoped to capture the duality of different phobias-from the lens of fear and the lens of beauty-providing my own unique interpretations. I also experimented with new forms and aspects of photography. From photoshop to astrophotography to burning prints, I pushed my creative limits. We fear the unknown. The uncontrollable. The unpredictable. But I’ve learnt that in order to overcome our phobias, we need to venture out of our comfort zones--in the end, there’s nothing scarier than fear itself.
Arachnophobia - the fear of spiders
Model: Elle Lucas
Processes: Taken in studio, edited in Lightroom
Gerascophobia - the fear of growing up
Model: Mataya Dorland-Meagher
Processes: Cloned and liquified clocks in Photoshop.
Pyrophobia - the fear of fire
Model: Mataya Dorland-Meagher
Process: Lit teddy bear on fire. Taken digitally, edited in Lightroom. Burned print with lighter, then scanned with printer.
Atelophobia - the fear of not being enough
Model: Ruby Clemons
Process: Digital Photography. Taken in studio, edited in Lightroom
Apeirophobia - the fear of infinity
Model: Hayley Taylor
Process: Astrophotography. Captured the NGC 2264 Nebula using observatory and telescope. Processed Hydrogen Alpha images in PixInsight. Photoshopped diver and lake onto nebula.
Monophobia - the fear of being alone
Models: Elle Lucas, Erica Herchen, Ruby Clemons
Process: Digital photography. Stacked long exposure images in Photoshop, edited in lightroom.
Thanatophobia - the fear of death
Models: Alexa Jimenez and Ary You
Processes: Digital Photography, edited in Lightroom.
I wanted to explore the uncertainty of dying, spirits, heaven, souls, and rebirth, through a cultural lens. In Chinese and Mexican culture (my two heritages), the concept of the afterlife is one that is met with open arms and acceptance, a contrast to the typical fear associated with death. In this photo , the yin-yang position of the models represents beauty and balance, and the butterflies represent rebrith—symbolizing how death is necessary for life.