My triptych aims to portray the hidden details that people often ignore or overlook. It will inspire the audience to see the beauty hidden in plain sight. In our daily lives, we are always swamped with work, and even when we can relax, we spend time on our electronic devices; thus, my triptych will encourage people to see, observe, and appreciate the world around them.

My final triptych will conflict with my original vision. While I once believed that buildings, paintings, and remnants of the past were better than nature, I now see it differently: like photography, there are no such things as “good,” “bad,” or “better.” It’s all about the goal. My goal for my triptych is to include elements of haphazardness, chaos, and messiness, while also presenting order, structure, and grandeur, evoking a sense of disoriented beauty in the images. Therefore, as long as my triptych fits my goal and new vision—whether it features architecture or nature—it will be the most appropriate triptych I can create.

Although I personally believe the triptych matches the goal, the haphazardness of the grass creates a sense of chaos, while the straightness of the plants conveys a sense of structure and order. The meaning, however, is difficult to interpret without context. Instead, the meaning of the triptych is often misunderstood as representing the “meaning of life” or a similar concept. However, some people still believe the triptych represents chaos or order, which aligns with my original intention when creating it.

Who inspired me to create this triptych, especially in this style? Aaron Siskind inspired me to capture photos of unnoticed, overlooked objects, as his work often focuses on the corners of architecture that people typically ignore. But then, as I looked at Harry Callahan’s work as my second set of inspiration, I realized that while focusing on overlooked corners is good, I shouldn’t limit myself to architecture. Harry Callahan photographs a variety of subjects. Just like in the ‘Wrong!’ unit we studied, we shouldn’t judge whether a photo is good or not. Therefore, we shouldn’t settle on a single subject for a photoshoot or consider that subject to be the best (in my personal opinion). Instead, we should photograph different subjects and decide which is the most “appropriate” for the theme under the circumstances.

When I took the photos, I tried to place my camera at different angles and positions to capture various images of the same subject. I also used different levels of clarity and zoom to control which elements I wanted to include in the composition and which I wanted to exclude. These strategies benefited me in the final editing process because I didn’t need to adjust many aspects to achieve a simple, clear view of the photos.

Thinking about this triptych, I now realize I haven’t fully explored the basic concept of abstract photography. Yes, I have photographed texture and patterns, but I still have many other interesting styles to explore. For example, out-of-focus techniques, motion blur, and manipulation of exposure…etc. In the future, I want to explore abstract photography further and capture my surroundings and the world in new ways.