The theme of my portrait photography is the chaos between anger and depression. The girl in the image is my second sister, who is currently a senior and stressed about studying for and taking college tests.  From this photo, I interpreted her current thoughts and mental conditions as a process of depression turning to anger.  I used a mix of red light and green light in the photo to represent the emotion. The red symbolizes anger, and green symbolizes the emotion between anger and depression. The center and the lower part of her face, like her mouth and nose, are red, and the upper part, like the forehead, and her hair’s color is green because of the light reflection. I also used some small pieces of paper to describe how she is stressed and going through challenges because of test papers. There are several pieces of paper on the photo, one on her nose, and others on her hair. I placed the paper on her nose because I wanted to emphasize the paper in the image, and the nose is the center of her face, which effectively highlights the paper. Additionally, I styled her hair to appear disheveled, emphasizing the stress she was experiencing from her studies.  Also, her facial expression is clearly visible in the photo. She is spacing out and zoning out, which lends a more serious and cold mood to the photo. There are several elements I focused on in this photo, but I primarily aimed to showcase the creative and diverse colors of lightning. While taking the photo, I struggled to mix the two lights because I didn’t know where to set the lamp. I tried placing the lamp in various locations and found the perfect spot that will make my photo look interesting and appealing.

The subject of the photograph is my oldest sister, sitting in the center of the image. The two different colors of lightning in the image, blue and red, are very noticeable. The color of the background clearly shows contrast in colors. The left side of the background is blue, showing depression, and the right side is red, which indicates anxiety. Additionally, the face exhibits contrast in lighting. If we examine the photo more closely, her eyebrows, bags, and cheeks are blue, and her blush is red. I was able to make part of her face blue by adding highlighter to her face and using a blue light screen. The blue eye bags make her face appear more depressed, sad, and exhausted, which aligns well with my theme. The photo shows high contrast in colors between blue and red.

In this photo, I experimented with how shadows can enhance portrait photography. I focused on making the shadows on Amber’s face. In the left photo, the leaf shadow on her right eye made the photo more unique and made it creative. Also, the photo on the right, the leaf shadow under her eyes, reminds me of the shape of tears. At first, it was difficult to create a shadow on her face because I did not know how to form a clear and unique shape of shadows on someone’s face. However, after lots of practice, I was able to achieve this result.

In this photo, I experimented with how movements and hand gestures can impact the image. I focused on showing the gestures and pose while taking this photo. The pose, where she raises her hands, and the shadow of her hands, make the photo stand out. Additionally, her smiling facial expression made the portrait’s mood more positive. The photo of the right-hand gesture that reminds me of a microscope is interesting and humorous. It was difficult to think of a gesture at first, but as I practiced, my photo skills improved.

In this photo, I experimented with how colors and different shades of shadows can affect the image. I focused on the orange color shadows and the lightning on her face. The two orange cones beside her face made an orange shadow on her face. Also, the natural sunlight on her face made two colors of lightning. In the photo above, the boundary of the color shadows is diagonal, which makes it more interesting.

In this photo, I tested how it would show a difference if there were additional objects around someone. I focused on her facial expression, gestures, and the additional object, the autumn leaves. The photo appears full, and its atmosphere symbolizes happiness and joy.

Lee Kirby

Lee Kirby is a contemporary British photographer whose portrait work is known for using projected imagery and movement to create layered, atmospheric “real‑life double exposures.” His portraits often blur the boundary between photography, painting, and graphic design, especially in music, fashion, and experimental projection projects.

Kirby is a freelance photographer based in London, originally from Norwich, with a background in both photography and art education. He describes his work as covering “a bit of everything,” but with a consistent emphasis on fashion, music, and portrait photography. His portfolio also includes nature, landscape, travel, and advertising commissions, showing an ease in moving between commercial and personal work.

Within contemporary portrait photography, Kirby’s work sits at the intersection of fashion, music imagery, and experimental projection art. His practice reflects a broader trend of treating the portrait as a layered surface—combining body, projected media, and motion—rather than a neutral record of an individual, aligning him with photographers who use in‑camera effects to question the stability of photographic identity.

Common visual traits in Kirby’s portraits include:

• Strong, high‑contrast lighting that makes projected forms stand out crisply on skin and clothing.​

• Simplified poses, often with faces turned away or partially obscured, to keep attention on the projected image and overall composition rather than on recognisable expression alone.​

• A limited, often moody color palette and careful framing, which give even commercial portraits a slightly surreal, editorial feel.​

Mind Map

Mood Board

The title of this project is “Deep in One’s Heart.”

The societal issue I want to explore with my photographs is the mental health crisis, especially among young people, that has occurred because of the rising rates of anxiety, loneliness, and depression.

I want my audience to understand and feel empathy about the mental health crisis by looking at my portrait photography I captured. I also want the audience to feel that the photo is creative and unique.

I will draw inspiration and develop my ideas by searching for photographs that utilize high-quality lighting techniques, effective composition, and body movements, such as the movement of hands, hair, fingers, and eyes.

A portrait is an artwork of a person or people that shows a particular impression of a person’s identity or their story and thoughts.  The main theme and topic in portrait photography are always the person themselves, which means that, unlike abstract photography, portrait photography has a clear concept and main idea. To make a particular photograph a portrait, it should contain a human as the foreground and other additional elements as the background. In a portrait, making the subject people stand out is important and essential.

I think selfies can be considered a form of portrait, because they are also capable of capturing a particular person or people’s identity and their story.  In a portrait, a person and an interesting element that can capture the audience’s attention should be included. To make a good portrait, a unique and attractive concept and elements are vital. People might think the outer beauty and appearance are important in a portrait, but I believe it’s the creativity and intriguing elements that make a photo stand out and look good.

A portrait can consist of a small detail only, such as a close-up of a hand, because portraiture is about representing identity, personality, or presence, not just faces. Even though someone’s face is not directly captured in the photograph, detail shots—like hands, eyes, or gestures—can convey emotion and tell a personal story. The photo below is an example of a portrait that consists of a small detail, namely an eye. The photo shows the mood and conveys emotions and identity.

A portrait remains a more abstract representation as long as the specific identity of the sitter is the primary information the image is designed to convey or preserve. For example, a blurred figure, or a photograph of a person that has been torn, ripped, or faded can make the image become a portrait. The photo below is captured by Bill Jacobson. Each photograph depicts a man’s face, its edges and features blurred and softened in a painterly style that reflected Jacobson’s preoccupation with loss and mortality in the early 1990s. Jacobson conveys the sense of futility in trying to capture a human likeness in memory or portraiture.

A portrait does not have to be a single photograph; it can be a series of photographs. Having a sequence of images in portraits makes the photo feel alive and tells the main idea of the photo more clearly. The photo on the left is a portrait captured by Lee Kirby. Lee Kirby used a series of photographs in a portrait photograph. The variation in a person’s arm gestures made the photo more aesthetically pleasing and interesting. The photo on the right is a series of photographs of a young woman captured by Lorna Limpson. The change of a young woman’s hairstyle makes the portrait more interesting and creative.

It possible to represent a person photographically without them being present in the image when you are capturing a photograph. For example, a photographer Sophie Calle took a photo of people’s beloning.  With this freedom she documented, in writing and with the use of photography, different belongings she found within the rooms. Being the chamber maid she was allowed an insight into how the guests lived as things were left untouched exactly how the guest had left it. By photographing current belongings positioned by the actual people Calle creates frankness in her work.

Composition/Structure of the photograph:

• Describe the subject: A middle-aged man is sitting on his motorcycle, holding his phone in his hand. The man is dressed in dark clothing, and his posture is intent and focused. He is looking directly at the camera lens, which makes his facial expression clear. Several wrinkles on his face show his age, and his eyebrow and eye shapes also show his facial expression. It can differ by people’s views, but for me, the man is frowning and seems mad, but I also deem it as a facial expression that shows sadness. The image captures a moment of individual observation within a larger, chaotic public moment.
• Is the image in black and white or colour? The image is black and white, not color. I decided to change the image to black and white because it highlights the man’s facial expression more clearly than the color image. Additionally, using a black and white color palette creates contrast, which highlights the subject and makes the man stand out in the image. Furthermore, by converting the image to black and white, it emphasizes its historical significance.
• TONE: The photo is in black and white, but not an extreme black and white. The photo is overall showing grey colors in the image. Since the mid-key tone is the tone in the middle of the tones, it makes the photo comfortable and steady.
• Composition of the image: The photo’s composition is clearly organized. The man is on the right side of the photo, and his motorcycle and his phone are in the center of the image. The photo does not show action or movements directly, but the audienece can imagine the movements in his hands and arms by defining his gesture. Additionally, placing the subject on one side and the additional materials in the center made the photo more visually interesting.
• Angle of the viewpoint – The photo is tilted to the right since the man’s face and body are tilted to the right. This indicates that this photo was shot from a slightly low, diagonal angle, looking up and across at the subject.
• Framing  (Rule of Thirds & Crop)- The subject, foreground, is placed along the upper-right third of the frame. Rather than placing the subject in the center and middle of the photo, placing it at the end and upper frame altered the audience’s view and challenged the stereotype that key subjects should be placed in the center.
• Focus: The focus on the subject, the man, and the motorcycle. The background lacks a high quality of focus, appearing blurry. Maintaining a high level of focus on the subject emphasizes the main subject of the photo.

FEEL What do you feel about the image –  Mood:

• The photograph gives the impression of solemnity and seriousness in a chaotic society.
• The attitude and focus are conveyed through the middle-aged man’s body language and facial expressions, creating a unique presence.
• The photographer gives a sense of urgency tempered by reverence.
• The scene primarily portrays a man’s appearance. His gestures and diverse facial expressions make the photo more interesting.
• There is a feeling of sadness, seriousness, anxiety, and curiosity in the photo.
• How does the photograph make you feel? The photo evokes a range of emotions simultaneously. I noticed that from different viewpoints, the photo can be shared and feel different. On one hand, the photo might make me or someone else feel sad; however, from another perspective, the photo can reveal a man’s anxiety through his facial expression. Since these two feelings are contrasting, it was unusual and interesting to me that they could be conveyed to me simultaneously.

COMPOSITION/STRUCTURE of the photograph

• Describe the subject – what is going on in the image? A street sweeper is walking the hutong street and smoking a cigarette. He is also holding a water bottle in his hand. The man is wearing a blue uniform with a yellow stripe, displaying a patterned design. His eye is a bit covered because of the shadow of his cap. His blank expression is well shown in the image by the man’s tired-looking eyes and the shape of his mouth.
• Is the image in black and white or colour? What difference does this make? The image is in vivid, saturated colour, not monochrome. The main colors shown in this photo are bold red, blue, and yellow. These three colors show a strong contrast in color. The red background and the blue and yellow uniform in the foreground match the color very well, making the image stand out. Without color, it would feel documentary or nostalgic; with color, it feels immediate, alive, and slightly grotesque.
• TONE: The photo features extreme contrast and high saturation, rather than a harsh black-and-white effect. A deep red color dominates the background, while a cool blue tone prevails in the image atmosphere. Specifically, the tone is punchy and graphic, like a Hong Kong street poster — bold and slightly surreal.
• Composition of the image: The composition of the image is in controlled chaos. The man is centered, calm, and still, showing a visual anchor. The background is a riot of meat, red labels, and reflections — busy, textured, overwhelming. The composition employs stillness within a cluttered setting to create tension and irony. 
• Think about the angle of the viewpoint – The image is shot from a high, slightly tilted top-down angle. I stood on a stool or at an upper level and held the camera above my head.
• Framing – Rule of thirds: In the frame, the street sweeper’s head and shoulders sit in the upper-third horizontal line.
• Framing – Crop: In this image, several cropping steps were utilized during editing. I cropped the top part of the photo, just before his hat, and also cut his knees and some edges. By using these cropping techniques, I was able to make the subject, the man, larger and emphasize it since the backgrounds were cropped out.
• Where is the focus? / What aperture?  The Sharp focus is on the man’s face, cigarette, and hand. A slight soft focus is also evident in the meat below — a shallow depth of field. Reflections on glass are intentionally busy, adding visual noise.

Colour – saturated? Contrasting? The color is extremely saturated and highly contrasting.

FEEL What do you feel about the image –  Mood 

• The photograph gives the impression of a man suspended between labor and hunger.
• Attitude and Focus (is there a key feature?) I think the cigarette is the key feature in this image.
• Subject: The main subject is the man at the center of the image.
• The photographer gives a sense of
• There is a feeling of depression, loneliness, curiosity, and  exhaustion,
• What does it make you think of? I think the photo evokes thoughts about our contemporary society. The man is smoking a cigarette, and I think this shows the exhaustion of life since most adults smoke cigarettes because of stress and emotional coping from work pressure, money, and family.

• Layers: the window in front of the man makes a layer in the image. The layers make the image more interesting and unique. In this photo, the reflection of the trees and sky on the window makes the image more attractive.
• Colors: Through editing techniques, I increased saturation and reduced the light to create a sense of an old movie atmosphere.
• Tone: By changing the color of green to brighter and stronger, the photo creates a mood

• Capture eye contact: shows facial expression very well. “The frowning expression”
• color – black & white- showing contrast in colors
  • black & white makes the facial expression of the man clearer
• gesture: putting his hand on the motorcycle makes the photo more natural

• decisive movement: shot many rolls of film
• gesture: putting his hand on his ear & calling someone –> shows the daily life of people
• Lowering the light made the photo darker –> highlighting the clothing he is wearing

• colors: The orange and yellow color in the man’s clothes and the box makes the photo unique.
• tone: In general, the photo denotes warm tones and
• framing – rules of thirds: The worker is in the center which emphasize the subject well
• Negative space: The negative space on the side makes the subject stand out.

• Don’t move- the fishing technique
• tone
• motion: cigarette smoke

• capture very close
• capture eye contact
• layers

• layers
• colors: red and blue make a contrast in color
• techniques: higher saturation, colors – making the photo clear & colorful
• The mood of the photo is bright & positive –

• Capture gestures: the woman was shaking her hands and arms when I was taking the photo
• techniques: higher saturation, colors – making the photo clear & colorful
• capturing emotions: The woman is smiling, which shows “happiness” through those facial expressions

• Capture eye contact: The man’s eyes are looking directly at the camera, which allowed me to capture his eye contact well.
• Framing: The man is positioned in the center of the photo, making the image balanced and steady.
• colors: The main colors used in the photo are orange, brown, and red. These three colors all have similarities in ton,e making the photo’s theme clear.

• Perspective and angle: angle-low angle: By capturing four men from a low angle, it made the subject, the man, stand out. Making the subject large made the photo more interesting and unique.
• Gesture: The man on the right is holding a card and trying to put it on the table. This indicates the natural and everyday life of people.

• Decisive movement: The motorcycle appears to be in motion. This movement makes the photo look more lively and real.
• Shutter speed: I tried a fast shutter speed when I was capturing this photo, since I wanted to capture the motorcycle when it came inside the hole exactly.

• Negative space: The negative spaces on the side make the center focused, highlighting the subject,

• The title of this project is “Coincidence of Fashion and Vehicle”
• The concept/story I want to tell about my is the natural and everyday situation of people riding or using common vehicles in the hutong. By the photographs I capture, I want to show a strong connection and links between the relationship between people and the vehicle, which is the key object in contemporary times.
• I want my audience to feel how a common and obvious daily life can be shown as very special, unique, inspiring, and beautiful from other people’s view.  I want my audience to feel empathy for their lives and humor while observing and looking at my photograph. Also, I hope my audience can understand the relationship between fashion and vehicles in the hutong.
• I will get inspiration and develop my ideas by looking for photographs that use decisive movements, show contrast in colors, or show various compositions of shapes like triangles.