Shadows of My Friends
Oliver P.
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I took this photo as part of a larger portrait project for my high school photography class during October. I was walking around my neighborhood with my girlfriend looking at all the halloween decorations put up by neighbors when one of us triggered the prop in the foreground of the picture. Once we caught our breath from laughing we tried to take some serious photos and this was by far my favorite result. I really loved the blurred look of the zombie-like figure in the foreground and it had a sort of symbolic perfection to it. It made me think of the stuff that rests in our minds behind what we show to the world and how that emotion can sometimes feel to us. The stoic expression on her face juxtaposed against the fear and anger shown in the prop’s features really convey that feeling of hidden demons, of shadows.
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To me creativity means to use what’s in your head to produce something meaningful and/or beautiful. It means to look to the world around you and within yourself to make something that reflects something important to you. It doesn’t need to be skillfully conveyed, but it takes effort and honesty.
