Posing (Or, Mise-en-Scène)
I‘ve never really loved being the subject of photographs.
In fact, up to this point, I’ve never done so much as use a self-portrait as my profile picture on my whopping two social media accounts.
When it comes to photography and videography, I usually prefer to work behind the scenes, but alas, neither option was available for this assignment.
I suppose it was for the better. Though I had mixed feelings about posting my self-portraits online, I must say that I actually enjoyed the process of bringing my photographic visions to life. As I explored the elements of decor, lighting, space, costumes/make-up and acting, I found that there was ample room for experimentation. Thus, here is my showcase.
Lighting
While creating these images, I drew a great amount of inspiration from a movement known as Afrofuturism.
As written by Ytasha L. Womack in a 2012 article entitled, “Afrofuturism: An Aesthetic and Exploration of Identity,” the term was first used in the 1990s by cultural critic Mark Dery. He “affixed the term to the growing artistic movement and critiques that followed narratives of people of African descent in sci-fi and futuristic treaties.”
Afrofuturism extends to music, film, literature and other artistic mediums, and the movement itself inserts people of African descent into a genre known for its homogeneity and lack of diversity. There tends to be a creative mix between the past, present and future of blackness, which is evident in the works of artists such as Sun Ra and Janelle Monae.
Needless to say, I utilized costuming and lighting in order to present my vision of Afrofuturism. Between my afro puffs, glasses and windbreaker, I tried to create an android-ish vibe. My blank stares into the camera are, in some ways, devoid of humanity, and the lighting creates an eeriness that is suggestive of looming darkness and danger.
Costumes/Make-up
For those who couldn’t tell, I know next to nothing about auto mechanics. And in my photos, I tried to leave subtle clues (such as the awkwardly placed tool in the second picture) about my ignorance. Still, there was a method behind my madness.
That said, my get-up was inspired by at least two different pieces: Norman Rockwell’s “Rosie the Riveter” and J. Howard Miller’s “We Can Do It.” Both represented the hardworking women who supported the World War II effort by laboring and producing goods in shipyards and factories.
The setting I chose also gave me a chance to challenge gender norms with my photographs. Cars and shop are oftentimes associated with men and boys, and female mechanics are a rarity. However, these women do exist and are one of many groups who both consciously and unconsciously challenge the binaries of the society in which we live.
Spacing (or rather, lack thereof)
Ready for my close-up?
Perhaps not.
This is one of many pictures in which I made use of my laptop’s webcam. My physical positioning created a “zooming-in” effect, and the frontality of the shot enables viewers to hone in on my expression while pondering over its meaning.
Acting
We all recognize these infamous faces.
The weird, seemingly spontaneous laughs or smiles which are produced in response to hilarious pictures, text messages or videos.
Except I wasn’t texting or surfing the internet. In reality, I was simply staring at my phone’s home screen as I pressed the “shutter” button on my computer.
And that, my friends, is what I like to call, “acting.”
Decor
These are actually a couple of oldies that I pulled out of my seemingly endless stream of digital files.
At the time, I was on assignment as head editor of the Kirby-Smith Middle School Yearbook. It was my third year on staff, and although I retained my position for all three years, I was exposed to every aspect of the yearbook-making process.
My fellow staffers and I shot candids and took team photos. I was one of the students who designed backgrounds, and a lot of responsibility fell on my shoulders as a leader. Other tasks included spell-checking every name one-by-one, leading meetings, creating agendas and so on. Although Yearbook was technically a club, we put in countless hours both in and outside of the classroom.
Those years were crucial to my development as an individual and are a big reason as to why I am in IB Film today.
