Isolation (2020)
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Isolation is representative of my time majoring in accounting for two years and how that affected every facet of my life. At a point, I realized that I didn't want to study accounting, but I was unsure of what I wanted. I felt stuck, and the images I created are a reflection of how I felt at the time. I had no idea what I was going through at the time until I got past it and looked back. Prior to the start of this project, I had never discussed that part of my life with anyone because it felt embarrassing. Perhaps photography is my emotional outlet. Given the circumstances created with Covid-19, these images could relate to more people now than it did before the pandemic.
I took inspiration from Gregory Crewdson on how to light a space and make it feel dark and empty regardless if the space is occupied or not. Also, I studied William Eggleston's fascinating approach to photographing common everyday objects in an appealing light.
I made the decision to photograph these as cinematic stills without a person in them because I wanted the space to tell the story rather than a person's body language. I control the placement of objects, lighting, and the crop of the images to enhance the cinematic look and better convey the feeling of isolation. The photos of isolated objects and textures are visual metaphors that further imply cold loneliness and the need for escape. The center framing in the images is an allegory to the precise and organized nature of accounting. Meanwhile, the tight crop that is closely associated with cinema makes the space feel claustrophobic even though, in cinema, the use of this ratio is to increase the field of view. I shot these images digitally because I found it easier to recreate what I'm envisioning as I'm able to review the exposures instantly and make adjustments accordingly.
