Street Final Presenting Photos:

School

 

Glass

 

Smile

Street: Final Evaluation

All three of the chosen photos align with my original intent of using street environments to explore “people of China” with identity, emotions, and self-expression. Every picture shows a subject in a unique public setting and emotion, captured in a moment that is personal and emotional, allowing the surrounding street landscape to shape the mood and meaning.

The first photo, “School”, captures a sad feeling as the subject’s face stretches upward toward the sky. The architectural lines (school buildings) on his right frame the action and give the body language a sense of purpose and a melancholic feeling of school. Eventually, it suggests no ambition, energy, or even a little sense of despair and disappointment.

The second photo, “Glass”, gives a sense of numbness and curiosity as it shows the subject in front of an intricate dome of intersecting lines and curves. Their upright posture and gaze upward give a sense of scale and perhaps disconnection, as if the subject is lost in thought or trying to connect with something bigger than themselves. Ultimately, the environment echoes the themes of contemplation or isolation, giving the subject a chance to inquire as they seemed to be primarily lost.

The third photo, “Smile”, presents a more extraverted moment. The subject is situated in front of a plain tree, in a position that feels both delighted and playful. The hybrid background with nature and architecture allows the viewer to have a diversified viewpoint on stillness and expression, making space for positive and charming moments.

 

Each image effectively uses the urban environment as if it becomes a character in the photo. Emotion and identity are expressed through how the subject interacts with lines, shapes, space, and movement.

My original intent remains: to explore identity and self-expression by showing how people in China interact with public space. In this final series, I discovered that movement versus stillness also became a subtle theme—how posture and emotions reflect their states.

I experimented with shooting from different angles (high, low, tilted, even though my presenting photos’ angles are similar) and used black-and-white contrast to strip away distractions and focus on the subject’s form and feeling. Compared to my earlier portraiture work, I focused more on body language and positioning than facial expression. I also stepped back from the subject more often, letting space and composition carry more emotional weight.

 

 

Presentation Style:
These photos could be shown as a triptych, side by side, to show a quiet progression—from stillness and reflection to movement and energy. They are connected by their contrast of posture and the way architecture frames the subject’s identity. Another presentation idea would be printing them large, each on separate boards, allowing the viewer to stand back and feel the environment around each subject and gain the emotional conveys individually.

The core of the project is the idea that identity and emotion can be conveyed through how someone is placed in their surroundings, even without direct eye contact or overt expression(which was probably also a main focus point for my artist, Bruce Gilden). Again, this series expands on my earlier portraiture by including more complex environments and layered compositions. I’ve become more confident in using space, architectural framing, and posture to tell a story or an emotion.

As I mentioned, I was inspired by Bruce Gilden for his way of embedding people exaggeratedly into street backgrounds. I tried to channel his sense of control into chaotic city spaces. Gilden’s approach to the environment strongly influenced how I composed “Glass,” where the background becomes part of the story that helps convey a feeling, or again, an emotion.

 

 

CRITIQUES:

• Composition:
  “School” uses leading lines effectively, but could be too busy—some viewers might find the eye bouncing around. “Glass” has a powerful architectural backdrop but might benefit from placing the subject slightly more prominently in the frame. “Smile” has strong simplicity and is well-composed; it centers the subject cleanly and leads the eye.

• Distractions:
  In the first image, the architectural elements are bold and striking but may pull some focus from the subject. In the second image, the glass dome is beautiful but almost too dominant—some viewers may struggle to emotionally connect unless they focus on the subject’s pose. The third image avoids this and keeps focus tight.

• Story:
  The series hints at themes of growth, reflection, and isolation, each image showing how people “fit” (or don’t fit) into the city around them. More expression or gesture in the hands or face could strengthen the message further.

• Emotional Impact:
  “School” may be the most emotionally direct, as most of my audiences share the same role as the character (student who studies in school). “Glass” is inquisitive and thoughtful, though more distant. “Smile” shows ambition but is more interpretive.