I choose to concentrate on a variety of structures for this set, such as tall skyscrapers, industrial structures, architectural details, and modern structures. Ming Thein, a 38-year-old man who has been taking pictures since he was 16 years old, is the photographer who gave me inspiration for my works. Thein has a wide range of photographic techniques, but one that particularly caught my eye was how he included buildings and architectural details in his images. My objective was to draw attention to the special qualities of the intricacies in structures, accentuate them, and portray them in an enthralling manner. In an attempt to let the image speak for itself, I tried to bring attention to the rust, distinct lines, and residual portions of its former use. The photos were taken on both a 25-lens and also a Canon g7x MarkIII. The wide-angle perspective of the 25-lens helped take expansive pictures and capture more of the surroundings. My hopes were to make each picture unique and use different angles to capture the intriguing aspects. Although my pictures turned out the way I wanted to, I encountered some limitations along the way. First it was very difficult for me to find locations to take these photos as it was either too basic or did not fit my ideal style. Along with this, I also faced challenges in capturing the desired lighting conditions, and since the Canon g7x MarkIII isn’t necessarily the most professional picture-taking camera, it was difficult to obtain my ideal aperture and depth of field in certain situations. Despite these limitations, I remained determined to capture the essence of the structures and showcase their complexities.

In my second set, I decided to implement reflection more uniquely self-reflection. I was inspired by Lee Friedlander, an American photographer recognized for his creative approach to self-portraiture and street photography. For this set, I decided to use myself as the main subject; I was able to set my camera up and position myself to portray myself in various settings and moods. Drawing inspiration from Friedlander’s unique use of mirrored surfaces, I sought diverse settings that would allow me to incorporate a wide range of reflections into my photography. For many of my shots, I used a flashlight to add a shadow effect to many of my photos, and by using close-ups and wide shots, I could capture introspective self-portraits. To improve my images, I could have included more subjects and self-reflective elements in my photos, such as objects or symbols representing my identity.

I took inspiration from Alexey Titarenko, a Russian photographer known for his mesmerizing, prolonged exposure to black-and-white images. Titarenko’s unique style highlights human figures and movement, creating hauntingly beautiful compositions. In my photographs, I used a slow shutter speed of between 8 and 12 to create a similar effect to Titarenko’s work and introduce motion blur and long exposure into my images. This allowed me to capture the movement of objects in a single frame. Furthermore, I toned my black-and-white photos, creating a more profound composition and evoking a sense of abstraction. I hoped to give off a ghost type like Titarenkos’s “Ghost Cities” book. My images also include a form of reflection that highlights my subject and the environment/setting; by using mirrors and windows, I was able to create a sense of depth and an added layer of attraction to my compositions.  I could have used more intricate backgrounds to add more details to the photo, making them more interesting, and used different angles to bring more depth.