Cheyenne's AP Studio Art

AP has ended up being something I never expected. Along with having some assigned projects to make me think,  I enjoyed having the freedom to photograph whatever I wanted for the most part. The most encouraging part of this course is that I will get college credit for free for doing what I love and photography is exactly what I am going to school for, so everything I have learned with my AP class as well as my two other photography classes I took this year have most certainly prepared for continuing on with my photography and expanding my knowledge of the art form.

Most everyone has an inner struggle. Whether it be confusion, depression, hatred of one’s self, or any other emotion; ergo, that is what I decided to focus on. My concentration focuses on those inner struggles through my self-portraits and the help of Photoshop. I photographed myself in states in which I have personally experienced as well as those of other people. Though very abstract, I have expressed emotion, in most cases deeper ones, to show the true struggle people face in life.

Having chosen to focus my concentration on emotion and one’s inner struggles, I was guided to show the inner feelings but have also shown the faces of those who hide those emotions with a less concerning facial expression. A smile is one of the most common facial expressions used to cover up any inner distress, although not everyone is so strong as to put on that smile to hide it. Through the series of photos, I had used Photoshop to my advantage as it gave the photos more meaning when it came to expressing the emotions in a stronger fashion. The layering of the images showed the different layers of emotions within someone. Starting off with a single, black and white image, I feel, opens the viewer up to what is in store throughout the rest of the series. Regarding the next photo, I layered several images to portray the feeling of paranoia or being trapped and not being able to get out. Continuing, many different emotions were layered to express the feeling one may have as they struggle to fight though the feelings. Being relieved with some layered images of a smiling faces portrays the smile someone can put on to hide what is deeper within. I feel this all relates to me and my inner struggles, creating this made me realize that I can relate to others as I too hide my deeper emotions with a smile.