Final Images

Autumn&Beau

Composition: in this image, the focus was on the two figures facial expressions, and how they interacted with each other. the bottom image is showing how their feet interact with each other.

Method: i used a desk light and flash to take this photo. since it was night and indoor, the light source was not enough to get a good exposure. So I used flash and also a faster shutter speed to catch the moment.

Concept: couple.  their shoes definitely reveal something about their personality. Autumn is very easy-going and Beau loves outdoor activities. They love each other very much.

Motivation: to capture a daily life moment.

Context: marriage.

Erica&Converse

Composition: i chose to use the easiest composition in these two images, placing the subjects in the center of the picture.

Method: I shot this photo indoor with a desk light covered with white cloth and a baking sheet on the other side of the subject's face to get some reflection.

Concept: Simplicity is the theme of this photo. High school senior with a pair of converse, and a sweet smile. Very simple and very natural.

Motivation: just to create a feeling of simplicity.

Context: high school life.

Jeff&bare feet

Composition: as the theme of this series of photos, it is a gain emphasize on the subjects face and the feet.

Method: desk light and flash. fast shutter speed

Concept: showing the emotion and the life of the person. Jeff is in the MSU break dance club. As a dancer, he uses a lot motions of his feet to practice.
Motivation: showing ones mood and hobby.
Context: super senior. college. after college. transition.

Kim&Converses + High heels

Composition: in the bottom image, I asked the model to get all her shoes out, creating a chaotic feeling.

Method: indoor light, flash, fast shutter speed.

Concept: also showing a person's life and personality. Kim was on her way to the KCF banquet and she's wearing her high heels. But when asked about her favorite shoes, she took out a whole collection of her converse shoes.

Motivation: telling a story about someone.

Context: collections of shoes.

Joy&Snow

Composition: the figure and the feet in the center of the images.

Method: desk light, flash, fast shutter speed.

Concept: personality. Joy is a very joyful person but she has her sensitive side.

Motivation: capture a different side of somebody.

context: faith and life.

Blog Prompts#25

Write a detailed description of your “motivations” for your final self-proposed project. 

Why are you interested in this subject? 
My project is to portrait people as well as there shoes. It is a interesting way to displaying a person's life and his/her personality. Shoes may tell a whole different story about a person from what people usually see on the faces. Also, shoes are important on our life journey, since they take us everywhere we are planning to go.  Some of shoes have traveled thousands of hundreds of miles with us at different places in the world. Shoes can tell a lot of stories.

What do you want to convey? 
The information I want to convey in my photos is about people and their life. I am always interested in people's personal stories. It is a privilege to hear things happened in another person's life. Since we are all different from each other and we all have different experience in our lives, but when we found similarities in others life, we feel connected to them as well as the rest of the world.

How do you want viewers to respond? 
Like I said in the previous section, I would like to let my viewers to see the difference among various groups of people but at the same time they will be able to feel connected to one of them. I hope they see the difference and the similarity and also I hope they will find it interesting to really pay attention to others' shoes, and take them as a part of their personality and personal history/profile.

Why are you inspired to make these images/this project? 
The inspiration was from photographer John Huck and his photo series Breakfast. He spent years to record different breakfast from different people in different ethnic groups, different age groups, and different social background groups. So I want to document the similar detail in people's life and reveal the subtle stories about them.

Do you want to evoke emotions in viewers? Shock viewers? Make them laugh? Make them think? Inform them? Reveal something about how you see the world? Reveal something about yourself, a person, a place, a feeling, a memory, a moment in time? 
I want to make my viewers smile, and remind them of some subtle/little things in their life but they ignore them.

Final Project Ideas