In this test set of conceptual portrait photography, i have addressed the notion of self-limitation and ignorance by using lighting, props, and body language. In my photographs, I have of used lighting to express the depressing and shadowy theme, body language to display the inner world of the subject, and props to aid the audience in perceiving the said above. However, after closer inspection, they can all be improved.

The lighting, although expressive, is quite lacking in some areas. For example, the location that I photographed this offers very little lighting differentiation, which impedes depth. In addition, it is also a bit too bright, forcing me to artificially lower the brightness, thus decreasing clearness of the pixels after artificial alteration. To improve this, I will adjust lighting in a more concise manner, and find better places to shoot.

The body language can also be made better. Although they do show the feelings of the subject, they feel a bit forced and unnatural. For example, when my test subject’s finger was held above his lips in the gesture of “quiet”, it can be easily seen that it is not natural and fluid enough. I can improve this by conveying the mindset that I am trying to express to my subject, which will result in them understanding and making a more real act.

Furthermore, more props can be used to support my photographs. For example, when I tried to show that my subject’s hands were bound behind his back, instead of just letting him put his hand behind his back I could also use a thick rope to tie them. This would create a more stunning result.