Bonnie Wang, Options
-to be updated upon the final resubmission
Concept
In this diptych project I want to present the how options, freedom and desire correlate to each other and how free of choice is intriguing for the ones who are being locked. The photoshopped picture shows the options for the cats: being home pets enjoying sufficient food and warm shelter with limited space or be an outside wanderer, explore the world as much as they want but facing the threat of hunger, coldness and unpredictable danger. The photograph picture shows a kitten locked up in a cage grabbing the guardrail with its paws, while its eyes shining the light of craving for freedom. This 2 pictures works side by side, illustrating a world full of possibilities with comparison to a cold, small cage. I was inspired when recently I rescued a small kitten near the dorm and took her to the vet’s. I came to visit her everyday, seeing her in the cage, which is a hospital room for her. I was distressed for her situation and the feeling is more intense when seeing her trying to broke the cage and crying. So I did this diptych project, visualizing her feelings and possibilities.
Process
As for the first photograph, I took the camera to the hospitals every time. As soon as I began shooting, I realize that the kitten was very excited to see people and kept moving around. So I set the short shutter speed in order to get a clear picture of movement and low ISO and aperture to get enough light. The I correct the focal length to ensure the whole body of the kitten can be fit in the frame clearly. Then I just keep waiting for the best facial expression and movment.
As for the photoshopped picture, I first had a close picture of bush prepared and corrected the color. I use it as a background image to show a wide range of possibilities. Then I cut off pictures of multiple cats, trash stations, and indoors cat supplies, arrange them in two sides to the first picture. The problem is I find it hard to make them look natural with the background picture so I use erasers and blurry tools trying to fit them in.
Conclusion
I would definitely try to make the pictures fit into background much nicer to fix the incongruity.
Image of Diptych
