Irene Documentation Blog

Concept & Story

The love story is told between two peoples’ different perspectives with an unexpected ending. The audio consists of two people individually speaking about their perspective on the relationship that was had. However in the end it will be revealed that they’re talking about different people. So, the underlying idea is that a guy cheated on a girl, Irene (me!). It’s unclear whether she is still in love with him, but with her recount you can definetly feel the warmth ion her voice as she speaks about him. He on the other hand is describing his rode to infidelity while in a relationship with irene. It is the real-life story from my experience which makes it even more ~spicy~ and that’s how we got inspired and found our script.  We wanted to explore the topic of relationships, even though it is really popular. But we still thought that it was quite interesting. Especially since I have been following the motif of love this entire semester. One more detail is that the metaphor itself – changing sky came to us only after the name – “shifting skies”. First we planned it just as a narrative, but the shift in sky brings so much more to this work. The connection between the guy’s name and the weather helps us to represent how their relationships changed and it makes the whole story more structured.

Creation Process & Execution

To begin, I knew i wanted to do a story on this when we were first explained the project. The story was something very raw, very emotional, but very captivating. We originally focused on the audio, and recorded the audio as soon as we could. When we talked about the concept of our story, we knew we wanted the audio to be the main point, so we figured recording the audio would give us the basis of creating our visual.

The audio recording was quite simple. As I had experience with audio before and Dana knew how to use audio from experience in the class, recoding audio was simple. I sat for about 10 min and rambled about my love story, while I had sky do the same. For obvious reasons, it was quite an emotional process, as I had to listen to myself recount the story, and listen to sky recount his affair. Regardless, I was very please with the quality of the audio that we got. After our initial recording, I began cutting the audio down to make a coherent story.

Cutting the audio, I would say, was the hardest part. I managed to get the audio down to 2.30 with cutting all unnecessary phrases, stops, and tangents. I really loved the longer version! I felt like it had just enough pauses and breath to make an impact, just enough detail to really fall into the story. However, the time constraints were against us and we were forced to shorten our audio in favor for following the guidelines. If the guidelines weren’t a factor, I believe the essence of our piece would have been able to come through more.

After the audio was fully complete, We started the storyboard. We knew we wanted the visuals to be more pretty and less story telling, almost like a mood board for our audio. To get this affect, we listened to the audio and wrote down feelings, emotions, and symbols we felt as we listened. The purpose of this was to find an overall image we wanted to employ, and fire out our metaphor. Dana was very creative here in deciding we should use a shifting sky to represent the change in our relationship – starting sunny and ending with rain. After we figured all that out, we used our storyboard mainly as a place for our sketches. We had some notes for the shots that we wanted to do, however in the process we changed a lot of the original ideas. We used scenes from the storyboard, however, I think that we changed the order of them.  It worked really well for our team.

The actual scenes were heavily inspired by cinematic poetry videos we have watched, where the poem was the forefront of the video. We wanted to use more real-life shots than symbols of life. Our setting choice in-terms of actual filming was our campus and places next to it, because it helped us to work more efficiently, thanks to the proximity of it. We used a field, quad, IMA studio, and a classroom. However, we needed to follow the directions of this assignment, so all of the shots in this area are subtle without recognizable NYU symbols.  So, you can’t really tell that it is nyu unless you know the campus really well. We chose natural lightning, and daylight when shooting as we felt it lended well to our point of trying to be more raw. All of our scenes are full of sun. It represents warmth, love and sky. We shot some main scenes first – grass scene, classroom scene, and typing scene at first.

In regards to shooting techniques, we were quite intentional with how we choose to film. We didn’t use the stabilizer, however, Dana came up with the idea to use a desk and a ribbon as the stabilizing tools. It made our scenes more smooth, especially the classroom. Also, another interesting technique we used was  when we were filming the middle section of our story (Sky’s Narration). We have seen many montages in movies where the camera is quite shaky, crooked, or fast moving to try and allude to the fact that its being shot by a person within the film, as in its more “homemade”. We chose to take the same approach when filming and chose to film scenes without stabilizing them. Dana ran while filming on purpose to make those shots look natural and organic, as if a couple was having fun recording each other. We wanted that part (where I am acting cute in the quad) to be the representation of their relationships through the eyes of Sky. So we decided to make some of the clips shaky. It added some natural feeling in them and more comfort, like he filmed them. 

Some funny, behind the scenes scoops was how we filmed the scenes involving texting is in making the phone light up with the notification. We changed our own home screens and WeChat names, and created lots of fake messages to try and add to the depth of the story. It was quite funny and i ended up having my name and pictured changed to sky for a day before I realized I forgot to change it (friends were quite confused).

For the post-production process – editing was quite easy for us, because we didn’t need that many effects. We used split screens and some interesting transitions, most of our shots were either close up, extreme close up, or wide, full body shots, obviously with the exception of a few. We really focused on close up shots as we felt there is less to hide being so up close, adding to our feeling of raw, emotional, and vulnerable. I took change of most of the video editing as well. When choosing what shots to put where, the storyboard did slightly come in handy. I used the sketches of the storyboard to recount what “vibe” the story was at at what time. This helped me organize my clips into the right order. We had many video clips to start with, but decided to only pick out favorites to make it into the project. Because our audio was already 1,30 seconds we were not able to add additional slides for the title and credits, so we made them a part of our visual aid with transparent text field. Throughout, making our metaphor of shifting sky’s was a main focal point when I was editing, and I strategically  placed points in which the audience saw the cry throughout. As the stories true meaning doesn’t become true until the end (what you think is a love story is really a story about infidelity), at first watch the symbolism may seem to contrast what is happening. The beginning starts with sunny sky’s, as the relationship at that time is still pure. As sky begins to talk, expressing where he met this other girl, the sky starts to change slow, as in he slowing starts to grow feelings for someone outside his relationship and thus cheating. As he finally admits and acts on his feelings, it begins to rain, as he’s finally been unfaithful. At the end it is pouring, symbolizing the relationship is now tainted beyond repair.

Collaboration

In terms of collaboration, I believe we worked well together. While I am better at doing more of the technical skills, like editing and audio related things, Dana was quite good in filming and giving unique ideas. My main responsibility was editing and recording all things audio. I did all the cuts, I decided with the help of Dana what to keep and what to put where. In areas where I lacked such as unique shot ideas or metaphor creation, Dana was good. Her experience with dance also allowed her to think of cool camera angels. By connecting our visions we came up with the final project. I learned a lot about thinking a bit more unique and sticking to a schedule. Normally I work quite sporadically but Dana did well at planning and keeping us on track. I think I excelled at the technical aspects and the vision I brought, but I definitely couldn’t have put the final project together without Dana. 

Aesthetics & Results

As discussed previously, the goal was for it to be  very raw and emotional. Not a whole lot of audio effects but more artistic with the videos. We tried to mix different camera movements, used a lot of close-ups and extreme close-ups to show emotions and text messages.  We also used smooth camera movements when showing background story and shaky shots for the Sky’s part. Pace of our video depended on the audio file. Every scene in the audio corresponded to the new video scene. Most of our shots are medium length. Also, for almost the whole video we asked our actors not to look at the camera directly to show the story from the side, however for the Sky’s part with shaky shots i am directly looking at the camera, because this part was supposedly filmed by the Sky himself which makes it logical that I will look at the camera. It adds more naturality to that part and more professionalism to others. Our main colors when filming were green and blue, with most scenes tinted slightly warmer. The reasoning behind this is that Pink would be too popular of a color to show love, so we decided to change it. Green looks comfortable, natural, warm and it is associated with summer/spring feeling which is associated with love and liking. Green is a perfect color for us, because we had a lot of nature scenes and this warm, loving green gives the whole motive to the video, because it is in almost every shot. Blue we used much less, usually for my clothes and for the sky. We tried to film a lot of shots with the sky in the shot. Also one of our colors is gray. You can see it in the background behind our male actor and when the sky changes to rain. Our whole video is supposed to be calm, with a little bit of contrast, fresh feeling, natural raw shots, innocent vibes and be aesthetic and cinematic. The tint of wariness throughout to still make it feel vulnerable and natural.

 

Footage of our process:

 

proposal Dana + Irene

folder with the most important drafts of our audio and video: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1BGnK5GqM_IET_RBTQeNVkf4lRHKewfu-?usp=share_link

all of the minor steps can be also found in our previous assignments submissions

Story Board:

 

Scene: 0:00 to 1:17

Name: Irene Katakis

Title of Memory: The Process Of Healing

A. Concept

For my Memory Soundscape project, I’ve chosen to explore the tumultuous emotional landscape of a painful breakup and heartache. Throughout the memory soundscape, listeners are taken on a journey of emotions through the process of loss, grief, and finally, healing.

In the beginning of the audio, you are struck with the sound of a door opening and shutting, symbolizing a “being” or “thing” leaving your life. In this case, I imagined a loved one leaving me, whether it be a family member dying or a break up with a partner. Almost immediately after their absence, you are struck with grief, which shows itself through the sounds of crying and the symbolism of rain. As the rain and the cries continue, you are then struck with the sound of a phone dialing and ringing. This sound was made to represent the denial stage we all feel when someone leaves your life, as you can hear continuous dialing and ringing, yet you are met with no one on the other side. As the calls become insistent with no reply, the cries grow louder and more desperate, just as the rain begins to grow louder. Finally, the last ring ends with a “line disconnected” sound, showcasing how there is really no getting that special person back in your life. At this point, peak emotion is felt, it is almost the realization stage, where everything has finally set in, you realize they are really gone, and you are fully encompassed with grief. As the rain and cries reach their climax, you begin to hear a rustling and a shushing, representing an external force that comes to your aid to care for you. In this case, I imagined my friends and family comforting me through grief and sadness after losing a loved one. As the shushing and stroking continues, both the rain and cries begin to die down. Eventually, after the last shush, a sigh of relief can be heard. The one going through grief has now been able to heal, accepting reality and moving on.

The story of the soundscape really goes through a journey with its listeners, having a clear beginning, middle, and end. My main intention was to give listeners a view into my inner workings, allowing them to see the process I go through when I encounter grief, and bear myself in showcasing how the memory of how I went through the process of healing when I lost a loved one.

B. Process

Going into this project, I knew I wanted to once again touch on the topic of ‘Love.’ However, I was unsure of exactly what memory surrounding love I wanted to showcase. So far, I have only showcased the happy, joyful aspects of love. With this soundscape, I thought it may be more interesting to explore what love means without all the glitters and rainbows – what it means to lose love and how it feels. Once I started thinking in this frame of mind, it was a lot easier to think of memories I would be able to convey. As I wanted my piece to be a story, I didn’t think focusing only on one emotion in my memory would be very interesting, as it would make for a very one-dimensional story. Additionally, I see love as something that possesses a lot of different facets, dumbing it down to one emotion seemed way too oversimplified. With this frame of mind, I then decided to tell a story of a process, rather than just the sadness of loss in love.

Before beginning to record audio, I briefly brainstormed the types of sounds I would associate with my memory. What kind of sounds did I actually hear during this time? What kind of sounds were around me? What kind of sounds would work well as symbolism for emotions and feelings? After narrowing down the type of sounds I wanted to record, I started my process of recording.

During my process of recording audio, I did hit a few stumps, the first being creating the sound of rain. As any reasonable person would think, you want to recreate the sound of rain, then you just go to the shower and run some water, right? And you’re not wrong! In theory, that would have worked great. However, I didn’t take into account 1) the acoustics of our dorm bathroom and 2) just how noisy the piping and draining is when you’re in the shower! My shower recordings were filled with loud sounds of water gushing through the pipe and pouring down the drain that the actual sound of the water that I was trying to get was barely noticeable. When I tried to switch tactics and record the sound of the sink water, the same issue happened – the pipes were just too noisy! This definitely left me stuck, as I knew I really wanted rain sounds but just couldn’t figure out how to do it. After some brainstorming, I remembered something I had learned in a high school film class, about how in Old Hollywood many directors would use cooking sounds as sound effects for various different things. With a new idea in mind, I busted out some bacon and got to frying, and let me tell you, it worked so well! The sound of bacon frying on a pan really did sound similar to raindrops hitting the floor, and with that, I finally got my rain sound!

My next issue I came into was something I never really thought about before I started, the phone ringing sound. When I began to try and record the sound of a phone ringing, I came to realize that many numbers in China do not give off the traditional ring sound most are familiar with; instead, a cute song plays. And while I am a sucker for a cute song, the ring really didn’t fit the vibe. I found myself calling almost every number I could get my hands on until finally I found one that worked (which just so happened to be a public safety number hehe). I called the number about 3 times, recording as many rings as I could, and then was all set.

The recording of all other sounds were quite standard. As I have a bit of experience in audio manipulation and recording, everything technical went smoothly.

When it came to editing, I knew I wanted to take a “less is more” approach. Since the memory and feelings within the memory were something so raw and vulnerable, I didn’t want to take away from the story too much by adding too many effects or sounds at a time. I mainly focused on aligning my audios in a way that clearly told a story, that allowed listeners to follow what was happening, without feeling overwhelmed and overstimulated. As I would like to think the quality of the sounds was pretty good, I tried to let the quality of the sounds take the lead and evoke emotions from listeners, such as the sounds of the cries or the franticness of the calling. I felt like the sounds alone, based on how I aligned them, spoke for themselves and were sounds of a story that everyone could relate to. For this reason, I opted for a cleaner, more “empty” approach to my soundscape.

Although I did have experience in audio editing and manipulation, I think I learned more about how to use effects and edit volume. Before, I felt like I wouldn’t really mess with volume editing of my tracks, as I thought, “well if it’s too loud, just turn your computer volume down.” However, now I really get why it’s important. I can obviously always get better, but I feel like I have more of a solid grasp on using effects and how to edit volume levels of individual clips to assure the overall sound is an acceptable volume.

C. Conclusion

I feel like I did learn quite a bit through this project, especially through the help of the feedback sheets we got. Although I really didn’t implement much panning in my final (which I wish I did), I did learn quite a bit about how to do it, when to do it, and the effect it has when you utilize panning. I never even thought about the effect much before as I never really worked with speakers and sound systems where the panning would be noticeable, and quite honestly, I never saw the point of it. However, after the feedback I got, I realized panning could be used in my soundscape quite well, whether that be through the crying panning over time, or panning the shooshing on one side and crying on another to showcase to listeners it is an outside source of comfort.

Overall, though, my soundscape was perceived well! Everyone seemed to have gotten the story – clearly being able to identify the beginning, middle, and end – and felt and related to the emotion in the soundscape. Most everyone could relate to my memory I showcased and appreciated how vulnerable the audio was. There were some mixed reviews on whether the audio was too simple or not – some claiming they appreciate the simplicity as it helped bring out the story in a genuine way, showcasing the emotion, while others claimed they wish they heard more variety of sound. I think those comments really just come down to preference, as some prefer “busy” sounds while others prefer more “vulnerable” sounds. I am proud of how it turned out, and I think all my intentions clearly shine through in this piece.

D. Image of Editing
this is the only left over file of editing I have!

1. 1. The First Obstruction: Cuba
      • Rule: Leth must remake the film in Cuba, but he cannot shoot on the streets of Cuba.
      • How Jorgen Copes: Leth adapts by shooting the film inside a single, small, and nondescript room. He creatively explores this limitation by making use of the room’s props, lighting, and cinematography to tell the story.
   2. The Second Obstruction: Animation
      • Rule: Leth must remake the film as a cartoon.
      • How Jorgen Copes: Leth faces this challenge by working with a group of animators to transform the story into an animated format. He maintains the essence of the original film but explores the medium of animation.
   3. The Third Obstruction: Bombay
      • Rule: Leth must remake the film in the most miserable place on Earth.
      • How Jorgen Copes: This obstruction takes Leth to the red-light district of Mumbai, India. Despite the challenging environment, he manages to adapt and capture the essence of “The Perfect Human” with the surroundings and people he finds.
   4. The Fourth Obstruction: 
      • Rule: Leth must remake the film in the form of a minimalist, pure cinematic expression with no sets, no props, and no actors.
      • How Jorgen Copes: Leth approaches this by reducing the film to a series of shots featuring the movement of women he observes in different locations. This limitation forces him to focus on the essence of human behavior and interaction.
   5. The Fifth Obstruction:
      • Rule: Leth must play the lead character himself.
      • How Jorgen Copes: Leth steps in front of the camera and portrays the main character, embracing the role in a way that differs from the original. This last obstruction explores the boundaries of personal performance and self-exploration

   While watching the film, i was struck by the creativity that came from the constraints. The documentary provides a thought-provoking view of the artistic process, the relationship between director and subject, and the malleability of storytelling in different cinematic forms. It also raised questions about the nature of filmmaking, artistic freedom, and the impact of external constraints on the creative process. The dynamic between Lars von Trier and Jorgen Leth adds an additional layer to the film, as it captures their evolving relationship and creative exchange throughout the project.

For my Memory Soundscape project, I’ve chosen to explore the tumultuous emotional landscape of a painful breakup I experienced several years ago. This was my first love, and when it ended, I found myself enveloped in a profound sadness, isolation, and desolation. It was as if a dark cloud hung over me, and all I wanted to do was mope, cry, and drown in self-pity.

The memory is characterized by an overwhelming sense of loneliness. The only voice I longed to hear was the one that had caused my heartache. The world felt grey, and the sounds around me took on a melancholic tone. I could hear the echoes of love, both lost and remembered, in the distance.

To convey this experience through sound, I plan to utilize melancholic melodies, distant echoes, and a somber ambiance. The sound of tears falling like rain, the mournful sigh of the wind, and the distant echo of whispered regrets will all play a part in this auditory journey.

My breakup memory is marked by a sense of isolation, with the emotional tremors are the focus. I aim to create a soundscape that captures the essence of heartbreak, sadness, and the longing for lost love, allowing the listener to immerse themselves in the emotional journey without the need for words, as I believe this topic is one everyone could potentially relate to

Name: Irene Katakis

Title of Diptych: Reflections of the Heart

Concept and Design

My piece may be what you would call unconventional. It depicts an image of a girl (me!) and a skeleton. At first glance, it may be difficult to discern the meaning of the two pieces, even seeming a bit whimsical. However, this diptych project delves into important concepts that I believe we can all relate to.

The narrative within the diptych illustrates the journey of acceptance and love. It begins with the girl’s initial perception of the skeleton as merely a physical form, representing a sub-theme of life and death. She sees him at face value, as a man with skin and bones, very ordinary. However, she starts to delve deeper into who the skeleton is as a person. As she peers more profoundly into the reflection, she embarks on a “Journey of Acceptance,” gradually perceiving the skeleton’s inner beauty and soul, symbolized by the transformation of the reflection as the skeleton assumes more human attributes. In the second image, she fully comprehends who the skeleton truly is, and her love breathes life into the skeleton, bridging the gap between life and death.

The overarching message it conveys is how transformative love can be. It enables the acceptance of a person’s essence beyond their physical appearance. What people may perceive at face value does not tell the whole story of an individual. The diptych tells a profound story of growth, acceptance, and the power of love to bridge the gap between life and death, ultimately revealing the inner beauty that exists within each of us.

 

Process

As we all know, I took these photos on a whim, without any initial intention of using them in my final piece. I roamed around, capturing images of objects that piqued my interest, ones I believed I could manipulate effectively. Although I possessed a basic understanding of photography principles, such as the rule of thirds, my approach lacked a unified vision since I had not planned on incorporating these images into a cohesive contact sheet.

During the shoot that eventually became my first image, my primary objective was to practice for another project. I experimented with the skeleton, treating it as though it were a real subject, rehearsing the staging for future shots. I had no preconceived intention of including these photos in my final work. However, upon reviewing the images and discussing them with peers and my professor, I realized that some of them held potential for an intriguing narrative. The more I contemplated it, the clearer it became that incorporating these skeleton photos could yield a unique and relatable story.

For this semester, I had been inclined to explore the theme of love. I felt that offering a fresh perspective on this theme would be invigorating for this project.

To commence, I set out to enrich the background of my original photo. I was dissatisfied with its plain and vacuous appearance. My initial step was to edit the original photo using elements from the same image without introducing any additional components from my contact sheet. My aim was to lend depth to the background, as this image would serve as the foundation for the second part of the diptych project. I edited elements of the photo surrounding the background, incorporating aspects of my face, the skeleton’s visage, and even my features onto the skeleton. I believe these additions generated a sense of transformation, as if everything were caught in a whirlwind. Additionally, the merging of the skeleton’s and my faces symbolized a shift in perception. As the girl gazes into the mirror, she starts recognizing the inner beauty and humanity of the skeleton. This transformation embodies the concept that love and acceptance can unveil a person’s true essence beyond their external appearance.

 

Once the background was filled, I began incorporating other images from my contact sheet into the composition. I initiated this process by adding the skeleton’s hand to the lower part of the screen. I achieved this by isolating his hand from a full skeleton image and creating the impression that it was pushing up against the screen, reaching out both to the audience and to himself. The significance of the outstretched hand is open to interpretation, but from my perspective, it symbolizes the skeleton reaching out to himself and the girl in response to her touch. He begins to recognize who he is after the girl’s love has breathed life into him, and he is overjoyed that someone finally sees his true self. I also superimposed elements of my hand over his, aiming to emphasize the mutual transformation taking place. This mirrors my thought process behind including the girl’s hand on the skeleton’s cheek. I consider the hand on his cheek as an endearing gesture, symbolizing her presence, her understanding of him, and her role in infusing life into him. The ring I added on her finger signifies their eternal connection.

Next, I introduced another finger with a ring around the skeleton’s heart. This element serves to reinforce their enduring connection and underscores how the girl brings him to life by not only seeing his heart but also physically touching it. Her everlasting love keeps him “beating” as he gradually transforms to appear more human.

Lastly, I integrated images of the two figures holding hands. Initially, they were depicted with a single finger interlocked, signifying her initial hesitation as she had yet to see the real him. However, their hands eventually interlock once she fully accepts and truly sees him for who he is.

Challenges

I was determined to introduce an element into the second image, one that would transform the girl’s eyes into hearts. The purpose of this alteration was to accentuate the depth of her newfound love for the skeleton. However, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t seem to make it work! I exhausted all my efforts, attempting every technique I knew, but the task of converting the eyes into heart shapes proved to be exceptionally challenging. Even when I came close to achieving it, the results were barely noticeable because the eye areas in the original photo were quite dark. I eventually had to settle for the best outcome I could attain. At present, the eyes have been subtly altered to resemble hearts, but the final result remains rather dim and challenging to see.

Conclusion

Overall, I am quite happy with how everything turned out. I believe the message I aimed to convey is expressed clearly, even though it’s a rather intricate concept, which initially concerned me. If I had more time to work on it, I think I would experiment more with colors. Since I primarily focused on seamlessly integrating various photos from my contact sheet into my original image, I didn’t have the opportunity to explore different color editing and lighting. It would be intriguing to consider making my original photo black and white while keeping the second photo in color, as this would emphasize how she is breathing life into him. Adding elements of color like this would be very interesting and if I had a chance in the future I would love to explore those aspects. 

Image of Diptych

Photo I

 

Photo II

 

Contact Sheet

By the term “fluidity of the digital,” I believe Ritchin is referring to how easily images and digital media can be manipulated. In the past, photography was used to capture raw, genuine moments, providing the most authentic account of events without firsthand experience. Nowadays, while some photographers still aim to capture unaltered and genuine images, many photos are edited or photoshopped to serve a particular agenda. A good example of this is the instance mentioned in the text, where photos of OJ Simpson were edited to appear darker, influencing viewers to perceive him as more of a criminal.

It used to be believed that “how can we confirm something happened without photographic evidence.” This sentiment still holds true, as people continue to rely on images to corroborate events, such as in legal cases or to verify someone’s whereabouts. However, I would argue that it has become less reliable in representing reality nowadays due to the widespread popularity and accessibility of editing and photo manipulation. A prime example of this can be seen on Instagram, where almost all influencers post a multitude of edited photos, presenting them as accurate representations of their appearance. However, when encountered in person, many influencers look significantly different. In these cases, I would say that digital media is not reliable in capturing reality, as the difference between how they look in images and in real life is substantial. Editing and manipulation are not limited to photography; they are evident in all forms of media, including videos, books, plays, and even games. Everything is created and altered to fit a particular agenda. Books are written from the author’s perspective and knowledge, videos are recorded and edited through the videographer’s lens, and games are developed based on the story and imagination of the writers. Due to the prevalence of manipulations in digital media, it is crucial that people remain vigilant when consuming media, approaching everything with skepticism and using critical thinking to evaluate its authenticity.

My actual concept is following the theme of Love that I have been focusing my projects on this whole semester (it’s the semester of love, I guess). I want to showcase two people walking past each other, accompanied by a group of friends, with their heads turned slightly sideways to look at each other but not enough to be fully staring at one another. When you are looking at the image raw, with no editing or photoshopping effects added, it will most likely look like a simple passing of two individuals. However, with editing, I want to bring out the story of two individuals connecting, in love (maybe even secretly in love), and you can see their emotions and affection clearer through the images. I think this type of photo will be really cool, especially in the realm of the Diptych project, as it is almost two stories. It will really showcase how important paying attention to details is, and how even with many elements in a photo, to look at what’s really occurring beyond the surface. 

I plan to take more photos will actual people that I can actually stage how I want. In my current photo contact sheet, I used it more of a guideline then my final contact sheet. As we had the break, people I wanted to use for my images were not available, so I had to improvise with myself and inanimate objects. I used the skeleton to showcase a different message, of how we are all the same person, with skin and bones, yet we examine ourselves and pick apart ourselves, comparing ourselves to one another. This concept was done because of lack of resources, and although a cool concept, I feel like a better direction to take the project in would be what my original concept is.

My plan in editing my photos for the actual concept I have is to make the surrounding people in the image grey, or take the color out of them and highlight the couple. Then I will add imagery of love around them, whether that be hearts or typography or shapes. I also want to add some symbols, maybe highlighting their subtle eye contact or the brush of their hands against one another