Objectives:
Experiment with a new prop or strategy (mirror) to expand visual thinking
Explore reflection, framing, distortion, layering, or symbolism
Practice intention
Reflect on how experimentation can influence SIQ
Create 3-4 images total
All images must clearly incorporate a mirror
Mirror can be:
Clean, cracked, foggy, warped, handheld, found, broken, any size, etc.
You can shoot portraits, landscapes, or both... but think of how best to utilize this assignment to experiment with your SI.
Ideas to help you get started:
You can composite (combining different elements or images into one artwork to create new meanings) images in Photoshop, as long as you use images YOU took.
Combine reflected and non-reflected spaces
Use the mirror as subject, frame, or illusion
B/W vs. Color
Images on images on images, they repeat forever! Linked HERE
NOTE: You will NOT be penalized for images that “fail” if they show genuine exploration!
If you are doing portraits:
A portrait where the mirror shows something different than the subject (emotion, identity, environment)
A face partially revealed or hidden through reflection
A mirror used to multiply, fragment, or distort the subject
A self-portrait where the photographer is present but not obvious
A mirror that reflects something the subject cannot see
If you are focusing on landscapes:
A mirror reflecting part of the landscape and placed into a contrasting environment
A reflected landscape composited into a different location
For example: Taking a photo of the mirror reflecting one natural scene and editing it by blending edges to create a believable or surreal result into a picture of an urban setting, to say something about nature vs. man. As long as you took both images, this could be a strategy that adds meaning to your SIQ.
A mirror acting as a window or portal in nature
Breaking the horizon line using reflection
Showing two versions of the same place (real vs reflected)
If you want to get more conceptual:
Reflection as truth vs illusion
Inside vs outside
Reality vs memory
Control vs chaos
The mirror as a tool to interrupt reality
What strategies did you try using the mirror?
What worked, what didn’t, and what surprised you?
Did this experiment give you ideas for your SIQ? Why or why not?
Where do you think you will go from here with your SIQ?