Hands

Artist Statement

In the above image, my subject (as implied by the title of the page) are the person's hands, shown typing on a laptop as it rests on a barely visible surface. I captured the image from the side of the person, allowing the laptop to stretch across the whole image but leaving a corner of empty space where the wall, laptop, and hands don't cover the background. I chose to try and focus on the hands rather than the screen of the laptop, which I assumed many people would be drawn to look at. I tried to position the hands using the rule of thirds, cropping the photo so they rested on one of the multiple points an audience's eyes are most likely to be drawn to. The dark background and the hands and laptop provide some sharp contrast: there is some lighter grey against the black background.

My original idea for the image did include someone typing on the laptop, but at a very different angle. In comparing my in-class thumbnail sketch to the final image, there are quite a few differences. First, the drawing was a lot closer to the subject. Second, the final product shows the side of the laptop, and makes the words on the laptop screen harder to read rather than simply cutting them out or changing the focus of the image. I did some photo editing for it: for example, I found the different shades of brown, grey, and various objects in the background distracting from the subject (the hands typing on the keyboard), so I changed the image to black and white. To further avoid this confusion I then changed the amount of light in the image to make the background darker (any objects that showed through, I went over with a drawing tool to cover them up). I also tried to be careful about how I cropped the image; I wanted to apply the rule of thirds when I realized there were many objects that took the focus away from the hands.

I originally wanted to capture this image to show hard work and dedication, and it still holds that meaning for me. However, I also found that it made me think about how absentmindedly we use our hands to create things on a daily basis. Whether we are painting, writing, typing on a laptop for school or work, we can underestimate the importance of being able to create. For me, it made me think about how often I write on my own laptop for school—even for something like an artist statement. Looking back on the image, I appreciate most of my editing. I wish I could change the focus of the image slightly, and edit out the white outline of the wall that I didn't realize was there, however, overall I appreciate the way the lighting worked out.