Blair Academy Photography
At the beginning of the school year I was diagnosed with a series of chronic illnesses and told that I would have to go through aggressive treatment to combat them. In the wake of this news, I wanted to see if I could convey the emotions and experiences that I was going through in an effort to not only bring myself catharsis, but also to make others going through the same thing know that they are not alone. Through my exploration, I found that by sharing my experience through photography, I could create a sense of unity amongst those who were dealing with the same things I was.
My works depict the symptoms and emotions I felt over this past year. Pieces 2, 3, 4 and 12 address specific symptoms that I grapple with. Shot 2 shows a blue model with white vignette. It aims to show the blue tinge I developed from taking Dapsone and the breathless feeling the meds gave me. Shots 1, 6, 11, 14 and 15 focus on the emotions I felt. The high contrast shadows in shot 14 show the feeling of being held back from the life I want by my illness. Revision was a big part of my exploration. Photo 7 was my first shoot on epigenetics. In photo 8 I made another attempt to further my message.
