Spacey Laycie: A Senior Surreal Photo by Niamh McLoughlin (2015)

For this piece, I wanted to incorporate a mind in a different universe. For the eyeball, I got a metal bowl of water and put it underneath a lamp. I set up my camera to HDR on a tripod and began dropping food coloring into the water while taking photographs in different exposures. The reflection of the lamp into the water gives the impression of a bright pupil. The streaks of color within the eyeball represent the veins. I experimented more with the water and food coloring, which is how I created the background. The background is several different shots of water and color combined. The actual face is 5 different pictures of the same face layered. I smudged the face into the background because I wanted her to be melting into the background, while still growing beautiful eyelashes of flowers.

I feel as though I am constantly being surrounded by people who are glued to their phones or social media. This picture was supposed to represent how a person can melt into the background because their mind is too busy in a fake world or connected to a screen. The eyelashes were supposed to represent her future and outlook. She is in search of a real world with real feelings and real connections, but is trapped in her way of life.