The title of my project is Amplification of Time. I have developed my own individual approach to this title by exploring how human perception of time changes based on emotions, environment, and experience, and how these factors amplify our sense of time. My approach revolves around the subjective experience of time – moments of discomfort feeling. This ‘amplification’ varies from person to person.

The artists that have inspired my work most are Edward Muybridge and Michael Wesely. Edward Muybridgehas inspired my use of using motion and sequences to represent time. Muybridge’s work in capturing motion through continuous photography showed me how to combine individual frames together to reveal subtle differences in motion.Michael Wesely has inspired the way I explore long exposure photography and showcase the passage of time in a single image. Wesely’s long exposure photos, some spanning months or even years, capture subtle and continuous changes in the scene. His works have shown me how a single framework can show a longer period of time, integrating the past, present, and future.

In order to develop my ideas for this project, I experimented with movement created just by body postures. In my first practice with this theme, I tries to have my model moving quickly, and captured their movements by using long exposure and low shutter speed. The results were not strong enough so I changed it. After experimenting, I have brought together the best parts of my project to create my final series of images by various lighting, exposure times, and compositions, carefully selecting those that could amplify the impact at each moment. To create my final series of images I used fabric to create a flow in the background and just let my model sit in front. I had one other person waving the fabric from different angles. I used a really low shutter speed (around 5) so that I can clearly capture the move of the fabric. I placed the lighting on the top right side of my model so that the light would only be on top of one side of my model. I also changed my photos into black and white, in this way, the feeling of suppressed and the passing of time can be emphasized well. By leaving the background and not crop it, it made a contrast between the main character and the background, which further emphasizes the main character. I had two different age groups to participate in my photo, by photographing two people of different ages, I can emphasize of the passing of time feels like in different stages in people’s lives.

I chose to work like this because I want to explore the complexity and fluidity of time, capturing its various levels and dimensions in ways that cannot be conveyed by a single, direct image. By using long-term exposure techniques, I can represent time as a series of an extended experience. This method allows me to feel the contrast between movement and long exposure, which is crucial for my ‘amplification of time’ theme. I hope the audience can experience the tense relationship between stillness and movement, short and long in my series. By juxtaposing these techniques, I hope to create a more immersive experience that reflects the richness of our perceived time – sometimes rushed, sometimes stretched, always with hidden details.

Overall, I think the strengths of the project are visual impact and conceptual depth. The long exposure images creates a strong visual contrast, attracting viewers to think more deeply about how to experience time in multiple ways. I used different techniques to express different perceptions of time can enrich the exploration of the theme. I challenged myself to ask for other people to be my model other than people that I know already. The areas that I will need to work on in future projects are to improve technical consistency and narrative fluency. Sometimes, the transition feels sudden, which may disrupt the audience’s experience. I also realized that developing a smoother narrative flow, with clearer transitions from one image to another, can enhance the narrative aspect of my work. For improvement, I would also ask my models to do a variety of facial expressions so that the emotions can be expressed more visually. Working in these areas in future projects will help me to support the overall theme.