Final Images

I've only made a few minor changes to the photos from the original peer review, but I think they're worth reposting. What's the sense of babbling without a visual?

The first one is one of those last minute shots. I didn't really expect to shoot anything for the project, but I've changed my mind after the amount this photo creeped me out. I blew out some of the highlights to abstract the faces a bit, especially targeting the guy in the background. The lack of detail in his eyes and mouth leave him devoid of all emotion, it's almost like wearing a mask. Ultimately, I think I picked this photo over many of the other ones in the peer review due to the tension between the two subjects. It seems the girl on the right is waiting for something, but whether it's in fear or raw anticipation is uncertain.

I picked the sushi picture because of the annoyance in the subject's expression, but it needed something more. I darkened the image and added a motion blur to the background. I feel like it adds a new meaning to the photograph that wasn't there before. The addition makes the subject seem in a rush, and the photograph caught him in a split second moment where he breaks away from the routine by a distraction. I want the viewer to feel somewhat uncomfortable, almost like they're in his way. The subject even looks kind of somber.

Perhaps I'm on add-blur mode, because I added some blur to the piano image as well. In this case however, I really struggled on whether it was a good move or not. Ultimately, I thought it was a step in the right direction. One of the comments on my blog stated that the focus on the face was visually distracting because it wasn't enough to be on purpose. That person was right, I want the hands to be the main focus of the portrait, because that's where the surrealism lies. The subject's facial expression, while a compliment, isn't nearly as interesting. I feel that blurring his face out adds a sense of mystery, as vague as that sounds. A lack of expression allows the viewer to have more control over their interpretation.

I barely changed my morning light image, the rawer it is, the better. The image makes me feel pretty peaceful, and I think it's a nice way to end off the assignment after three pretty tense and uncomfortable portraits.