This is my final portrait photograph. It uses lighting and contrast in a simple but powerful way to communicate a deeper idea about the duality of our identities.

Only one side of the subject’s face and body is visible, while the rest fades into darkness. The light draws attention to the visible side, making it feel open and exposed, while the shadowed side feels hidden and mysterious. The exposed portion of the subject represents the side of identity that we reveal to others, while the hidden and faded part symbolizes the side of identity that we choose to conceal and hide from the world. This strong contrast between light and dark creates a dramatic effect and immediately sets a serious mood that allows the audience to reflect on their identities as well.

The darkness surrounding the subject adds to the intensity of the photo. Since the majority of the image is black and dark, the viewer is forced to focus on the small area that has light. This makes the photo feel emotional and personal. The shadows create tension and make the viewer wonder what is being hidden, which adds depth to the image.

The photo clearly meets my statement of intent, which was to show that there are parts of our identity we reveal and parts we keep hidden. The light represents the side of ourselves that we show to the world, our public identity. The shadow represents the private parts of ourselves that we choose not to share. By showing both light and shadow on the same person, the photo suggests that everyone has a visible and a concealed side, and that both are important parts of who we are.

The use of black and white strengthens the message of duality. Without color, the contrast between light and shadow becomes much stronger and more noticeable. This highlights the idea of opposing identities of what is seen versus what is hidden. At the same time, the gradual transition between light and dark shows that identity is not completely split, but instead exists somewhere in between.

Overall, this photo is effective because it uses simple lighting and strong contrast to communicate a meaningful idea. The dramatic use of light and shadow, along with the black-and-white style, successfully represents the dual nature of identities and how we choose what parts of ourselves to show or conceal.

This image was taken in the Black Box studio. For this photo, I turned off all lights and only used my phone’s flashlight as a light source. The intention was to get a dramatic effect on the figure, leaving the back profile in shadow and blurred. By doing this, I hoped to emphasize the contrast between the parts of the identity that are visible (the front-facing part) and the parts we keep hidden (the back profile).

One of the strengths I find in this image is the dramatic effect created by the minimal lighting. The flashlight provided just enough illumination to define the front of the subject’s face, while the back profile remained blurred and lost in the shadows. This created a sense of mystery, as the concealed identity is not fully revealed. The blurred back profile in the mirror is particularly effective because it adds a layer of abstraction, allowing the viewer to focus more on the hidden nature of identity rather than on sharp, clear features. The subject’s reflection, distorted and blurred, communicates the idea that some parts of ourselves are not easily seen, even by ourselves, and are often kept in the dark.

However, there were some challenges with this lighting technique. The phone’s flashlight was small and uneven, which resulted in harsh shadows on the person’s face and created areas where the light did not fully illuminate important features. As a result, parts of the face were either overexposed or seemed merged into the black background. The back profile, while it was intentionally blurred, could have been more defined to add depth and reinforce the contrast between the visible and concealed aspects of the identity. The lack of detail in the shadowed part of the image made the contrast between light and dark feel a bit too subtle.

One thing I learned from this photo was that lighting, even when minimal, needs to be carefully controlled to achieve the dramatic effect. The phone’s flashlight worked to create the mood I was after, but it didn’t provide enough even light to fully define the subject, or work to cover only half of the face.

In these photos, I experimented with my statement of intent by using contrasting lighting to symbolize the tension between the parts of ourselves we show to the world and the parts we choose to conceal. I decided to use two different colored lights in the second image, aiming to represent the two sides of the subject’s identity. One side is illuminated with a cooler tone, and the other with a warmer, more expressive light. The other images were shot in just purple light, with the intention of stripping away any distractions and focusing solely on the subject and the prop used, which in this case is a mirror. At first, I had the urge to use the mirror to convey that there are two versions of ourselves. One side that reflects in the mirror, which is in focus and clear to see, represents the identity that others see. The other side, which is the person’s back profile, is blurred out and somewhat amorphous to highlight the hidden identity in a person. However, after trying these two shots, I realized that without the mirror and focusing on the interplay of lights would better communicate the duality of identities and meet my statement of intent. I think the use of contrasting colored lights in the first image really brought in that effect.  The red light on one side and the dark blue light on the other did a good job of creating a clear visual split, visually representing the concept of two conflicting identities. The lighting itself was clear to tell, but I think it could have been more dramatic, like Albert Watson’s. While the first photo conveyed a clear split through color, the lighting on the model’s face could have been more precise. In some areas, the blue and red lights seemed to overlap in a way that reduced the contrast I was hoping for. In future photos, I will experiment with different lighting angles to ensure that the contrast is sharper and more defined, particularly across the subject’s face. I may also try to use a larger light source or a softbox to diffuse the lights and create more even transitions between the light and shadow areas. This would allow the division between the “showing” and “concealing” sides of the subject’s face to feel more deliberate. Overall, for my final set of photos, I won’t be using a mirror, but focusing on the interplay of contrasting lights to bring out the dramatic effect.

Albert Watson is a renowned photographer whose work has left a significant mark on the realms of portraiture and contemporary art. He is celebrated for his dramatic use of light, bold compositions, and the emotional intensity he brings out in his subjects. His portrait style is often described as sculptural because he shapes the face using stark contrasts between light and shadow. In the first, this is especially clear. The strong side-lighting creates deep shadows that wrap around the face, emphasizing bone structure and giving the portrait a mysterious, cinematic mood. I have noticed that Watson frequently uses black-and-white tones to strip away distractions, which I would love to try for my own portraits because it allows the viewer’s attention to fall fully on expression, form, and atmosphere.

A key element of Watson’s style is controlled lighting, which is often directional and intentional to build tension in the photographs. The second image’s light cuts across the subject’s face, revealing only half of it, which is exactly the type of technique I want to use for my photos because it conveys the idea that there are some parts of our identity that we show and some parts that we conceal from the world. This type of lighting creates a sense of duality, making the portrait feel more drawn and appealing to the audience, as many can sympathize with it. It uses darkness as a tool to highlight emotion and guide the viewer’s eye. I also think that Watson creates portraits that feel introspective or haunting by capturing his subjects in quiet and thoughtful moments. The third image, which features a woman staring into a mirror, connects to this aspect of his work. Watson often plays with reflections, angles, and unusual framing to create a feeling of duality or inner conflict. In this mirror portrait, the lighting and composition suggest a private moment, almost like the viewer is intruding on a personal thought or attempting to hide a part of their identity from the world, which is a theme that I also wanted to explore. Watson’s portraits feel rarely accidental, and they seem carefully crafted to look effortless yet emotionally loaded. Another characteristic of Watson’s portraiture is his tendency to depict his subjects as powerful, almost iconic figures. He often places them in elegant poses and uses soft but precise lighting to enhance their presence. A woman with soft light falling on her face while she poses thoughtfully connects to this elegant, stylized approach of portraiture. The highlights on her hair and face give her a dazzling appearance, which is similar to the polished quality that Watson brings to his photographs. Even though the lighting in this image is gentler than in Watson’s more dramatic pieces, it still relates to his skill in using light to create depth and beauty. Finally, I think Watson regularly experiments with crops that bring up unconventional compositions to add depth in meaning and visual interest. The image shows only part of a woman’s face reflected through a mirror, which strongly connects to my statement of intent, which is why I decided to look at it. Watson has taken many portraits that use partial framing, unexpected angles, or obscured features to make the viewer look more closely. The high contrast also mirrors Watson’s signature use of deep blacks and bright whites, which help create a sense of boldness and mystery of the person’s identity.

In summary, Albert Watson’s portrait style is distinctive for its dramatic lighting, emotional depth, and strong visual design. Each photo connects to an element of his style, whether it is through bold shadows, reflective surfaces, elegant posing, or experimental framing. Together, these photographs show how influential Watson’s techniques were for me and gave me clear ideas on the kind of techniques to try and the nuances of my future portrait photos.

images cited:

https://www.holdenluntz.com/artists/albert-watson/

These two photos are practice shots we created to experiment with how motion can be expressed through photography. Our main goal was to show how quickly time can pass by a person. In both images, the blurriness communicates a sense of movement that a regular still photo could never capture. Instead of freezing a moment perfectly, the camera shows a trail of motion, almost like a visual echo of the subject’s actions. This gives the viewer the impression that the person is constantly in motion, reinforcing the idea that time never truly stops and passes by quickly. One thing that worked well in these photos was how the slower shutter speed allowed the motion to stretch across the whole picture. The blur is strong enough to be noticeable and expressive, but the subject is still visible enough that you can tell what is happening. This balance is important because too much blur can cause the subject to disappear entirely, while too little blur won’t clearly show movement. Another successful aspect is how the dark background emphasizes the glowing, ghost-like motion trails. The contrast helps the blur stand out, making the movement the main focus. However, there were also things that didn’t go perfectly. Because the movement wasn’t always consistent, some parts of the blur look accidental instead of intentional. For example, some sections of the body blur more than others, which can make the composition feel uneven. This helped me realize how much control is needed when working with slow shutter speeds. Motion blur might look effortless, but it actually requires planning: deciding how fast to move, in what direction, for how long, and how to maintain a steady rhythm. If I were to redo these shots, I would experiment more with movement patterns, maybe repeating the same gestures multiple times to see which produces the cleanest blur. I might also adjust the shutter speed slightly, either slower for longer trails or faster for sharper outlines, depending on the mood I want to create.

The third photo is a very different type of motion experiment. In this one, we tried to spell out the word “LOVE” with our arms by shaking them in the air to form letter shapes. The idea was to use our bodies as a kind of light-brush, except instead of light, we used movement to “draw” in the air. Even though the final image doesn’t perfectly show each letter clearly, the process gained me much knowledge about this technique. This shot was much harder than the first two because it required the four of us to coordinate our movements at the same time. Each person had to form the correct part of a letter, move their arm at the right speed, and stay positioned correctly so the letters would line up in the final shot. Timing was a huge challenge. If one person moved too quickly or too slowly, the letter would come out misshapen. If someone moved their body instead of just their arm, their whole figure would blur, making the image harder to read. Due to these difficulties, we had to make numerous attempts before producing something even somewhat readable. Despite this, the photo taught me a lot about how motion interacts with exposure time. I learned that slow shutter photography requires not just creativity but also coordination, patience, the process of success and failure. One improvement I would make next time is practicing each letter movement beforehand, almost like choreography. I might also try using a longer exposure so the letters have more time to form, or adding a small light source like a glow stick so the letters appear brighter and more defined. Even though the final result wasn’t perfect, the process helped me understand motion blur more clearly.

Mood Board: