Blog 2
The main themes of the Better Lives unit were Diversity, Social Responsibility, and Sustainability. For my Better Lives Unit, I chose the Contemporary Portrait Photography project. The aim of this project was to introduce us to the theory and practice of portrait photography as well as explore how we can incorporate the better lives theme into our fashion practice. The outcome of this project was to experiment and produce three home portraits- a fashion portrait, a portrait of someone/something in the home, and a portrait of someone who isn’t there.
I am a very visual person and I find it easier to express my thoughts and my point of view through photographs rather than words. Therefore, the contemporary portrait photography project was the perfect choice for me to demonstrate how the better lives unit has shaped my thought process and my creative practice Portrait photography helps you form a connection with the subject; it helps you tell a story through a photograph. I firmly believe that art and fashion have the power to break societal taboos and create awareness. As a future fashion practitioner, I want to be a part of that change. The better lives lectures helped me realize the changes that are required in the fashion industry and have motivated me to create art for a particular cause that will have a deep impact on people. Out of the three themes, I resonated with the theme of diversity the most. Growing up, I hardly saw someone that looked like me in mainstream media which affected my sense of identity and made me feel like I didn’t belong. The standards of beauty promoted by mainstream media are unrealistic and have a great impact on people and their relationships with their bodies.
In the future, I want to work with companies and brands that support real representation and promote realistic beauty standards. I want my fashion practice to affect people’s lives positively. I want to use photography as my chosen medium to promote body positivity. I want to spread the message of self-love and help people accept and love their imperfections. My aim is to use a camera to capture real people and share their stories with the world. The project taught me a lot about the technical aspects of photography as well as the emotional aspect of how to form a connection with the subject. The contemporary portrait project has helped me be creative and experimental. This unit has helped me develop skills that will shape my fashion practice in the future. It has enabled me to reflect on my background and explore how I can use portrait photography to express my point of view. The better lives unit has helped me gain more knowledge about the themes of Diversity, Social Responsibility, and Sustainability.