Hidden Shadows

This series of photographs was inspired by the artist Marek Chaloupka; his use of shadows within his work creates a tense atmosphere.

I thought to myself that photographs have the ability to toy with our emotions, they can make us happy, sad, you name it. So I went with anxiety. I thought the use of the shadows makes the audience seem quite anxious; well that was the goal anyway. The use of the shadows means they don't know what or who is in the image, which then creates that uncertainty. It links to the idea of feeling trapped and isolated from the people around you.

I find that these photographs can be perceived in two different ways. One; the audience could imagine themselves in a situation similar to the photograph, they could be trapped and personally connect with the image. I find that fear can play a big part in the mindset of an audience, if they picture themselves in that situation, they can really feel what other people have gone through. Especially people that have been pushed out by society and completely secluded by those around them. But secondly the images can be used to not put themselves in the perspectives of these people, but understand that there are parts of everyday life that effect people differently.

One of the main themes I looked at when producing these photographs was the idea of phobias and how people struggle to live their lives normally. One I looked at in particular was Cleithrophobia; it is the fear of being trapped or locked in an enclosed space. When looking into this I found that it is often very hard for people to separate their fears with their everyday life. Many people see this an an imperfection or even a problem within them-self. This can often lead into bigger problems down the line. I wanted people to be able to see what some people go through and understand that these 'problems' cannot be controlled and often leave them feeling lonely and not in control of their own lives.

So that's my deep meaning of these photographs and an analysis will be added to each of my series of photographs. They are all my own thought and the intended meanings of the pictures. But I would love to know what you think when you see these photos? Feel free to leave comments.