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My second presentation failed because my technical level in the digital darkroom wasn’t up to par with my expectations of how my images needed to look and be presented. I was so unhappy with the turn out that I tried to present my work as a failed attempt that would be fixed and tried again, but that failed as well. I wanted to show everyone how complicated the whole process was and explain why my images weren’t finished, but pent up stress and frustration broke loose inside me producing an anxiety attack that ruined everything.

To achieve inner peace, I started over and gave my second presentation with my final.

With all of the discussion surrounding the monstrous, horror films, and nightmares during the first half of the semester, I decided to try to create a setting for a nightmare or a horror film. My goals were to have one or two images that contained enough visual elements to create the potential for a rich narrative; to make the images look and feel surreal through light and color; and to make large prints. During vivid dreams, your senses can be hightened, making you hyper-sensitive to things like color. I used a vivid color film and saturated the colors in Photoshop to give the images the hightened senses look.

I went to the Austin Presbyterian Seminary campus to find these settings because it has areas that look very residential and areas that look institutional. I also feel safe enough to walk around the campus late at night and early in the morning with thousands of dollars worth of photo equipment. I take a lot of pictures there because it kind of feels like a playground to me. When I saw the bike and the basketball goals, I knew I had found my settings.

For me, these images are about someone’s subconscious struggle with a troubled childhood. Maybe something bad happened at this playground, or the pink bike represents a longing for the past. The interpretation is ultimately up to the viewer to decide. I wanted the images to remain open enough for different interpretations.