For my set 2, I will be exploring the youth culture of Japanese anime and manga. This time, I will use light of only one color, with less blur, to emphasize the anime content rather than motion. The bright colors are a symbolic feature of youth culture, characterized by eye-catching, high-key, and bold aesthetics. The shadow of the colorful light represents the dark side of this virtual culture, where being overly fearless and bold can lead to impulsive actions, such as cyber-violence.

The title of this project is “The Cultures of Modern Youth. ” The social issue I want to explore with my photographs is that the boldness of youth culture is a double-edged sword. In basketball culture, this refers to both the negative consequences of being overly aggressive and the positive consequences, such as gaining fame, self-respect, and relieving stress. In this project, I will utilize red and blue light to demonstrate my idea, which involves creating contrast through the interaction of complementary colors. The contrast being created is just like the youth basketball culture. On the blue side, which also represents manageability, there is fame and money in becoming a great. On the red side, which embodies out of control, the aggressiveness and competitiveness of this sport might also lead to impulsive actions, like getting into a physical conflict or anxiety disorder caused by pressure.  I will also capture my subject with a long exposure to create motion blur, evoking the intensity of a basketball game. I want my audience to feel encouraged by the people who have a passion for their community and subculture, while also realizing that boldness is never impulsive.

Matt Doheny is a Los Angeles-based professional photographer with over 20 years of experience, specializing in fashion, editorial portraiture, commercial/advertising, and lifestyle photography. His intent is to push creative boundaries in studio work, transforming ordinary portraits into bold, high-energy visual statements. Through innovative lighting setups, such as his signature three-colored shadows technique using red, green, and blue lights to create vibrant, multicolored shadow effects via additive color mixing, Doheny conveys a message of dynamic energy, illusion, and heightened glamour. This approach celebrates fashion’s theatrical side, making subjects appear larger-than-life and infusing images with a surreal, almost dreamlike vibrancy that challenges conventional portrait norms.

Across his portfolio, Doheny’s style is defined by high-key lighting, saturated bold color palettes, precise studio control, and dramatic creative lighting. He frequently employs multi-colored gels and shadows for illusory depth, sharp focus on models with clean backgrounds, and a fashion-forward composition that emphasizes wardrobe, pose, and attitude. Techniques like long-exposure elements (where applicable) and intricate light sculpting add movement and ethereal quality, resulting in lively, high-impact images.

I chose Doheny because his fearless experimentation with color and light deeply inspires me, particularly how he turns shadows into vibrant artistic features rather than mere absences. His work motivates me to adopt high-key bright colors, long-exposure techniques for motion blur, and multi-colored lighting setups in my own experiments. For this project exploring subcultural identity of modern youth, and I’ll creatively represent the dynamic culture—energy, style, and unique fashion—by applying these bold, colorful portrait elements.

All four photographs above demonstrate his choice of eye-catching color, stylish postures, and intentional use of shadow

Works Cited:

I think a portrait is a picture of a person or a group of people. Its main goal is to show what that person is like—their personality, mood, or even their story. While a simple snapshot just shows what someone looks like, a good portrait tries to show you something more about who they are. Yousuf Karsh’s photo of Einstein has become one of the most classic shots ever. In the photo, Einstein’s facial expression demonstrates a figure of wisdom. He is looking up at something high behind the camera, which offers this portrait photo more content than the appearance of Einstein.

work cited:

This photo captures street worker’s labor with vivid colors, highlighting his ordinary but essential role in urban life. – It shows daily life elements

This picture freezes at a decisive moment, which is a person smoking, interacting with the environment, embodying the essence of street photography. The monochromatic filter also emphasize the mood and character.

This photo creates visual contrast between the western cook hat and the Chinese traditional buildings, reflecting the effects of globalization in street life. The use of black and white filter also emphasize on the contradiction in the image.

This picture also captures a decisive moment, adhering to the rule of thirds, layers, and the tension created by the particular height of this shot. The combination of the concepts places us into the child’s perspective and offers the feeling of sad and maybe anger.

This photo captures a relaxed, unguarded moment of the driver, highlighting the human element in everyday street occupations.

This picture shows a spontaneous street scene with passersby and urban elements, embodying the candid, slice-of-life essence of street photography.