Ruins of Detachment: A Junior Design Student Conceptual Project by Estelle De Zan (2015)

In these concept shots, I am exploring the feeling of resignation through an experience of loss. Found beneath a bramble of dry flower petals and leaves, the primary point of interest in my photograph is the secured padlock. To illustrate the balance between past, present, and future, the left hand side of the image is slightly brighter than the right because although the past fades, it remains a memory. The future, unknown, is represented as more obscure. Experimenting with different angles and ways of animating the object, I ensured that it was slightly concealed by the surrounding foliage. To demonstrate that the lock had been in that environment for a significant amount of time, I wanted the plant life to look like it was growing over it and the dirt was starting to settle upon it. This perspective was meant to provide the photograph with more depth.

Throughout the process of editing and polishing my work, I took the opportunity to improve my use of the pen tool in Adobe Photoshop, which later allowed me to make more detail oriented decisions when it came to the photograph's composition. The implementation of a ‘sponge' filter on the lock allowed me to place more emphasis on the object, rendering it more alive and geometrically aligned. As I familiarized myself with the photograph, the color palette came to play a major role in the way emotion was expressed. Along with the shadows, this emphasized a contrast between the inner conflict of time and recovery. When putting together the props and a fitting background for my photograph, I built upon my concept statement by placing the lock upon soil littered with vegetation, both vibrantly youthful and withered. Throughout, I wanted the lock to appear worn down and lost in its environment, but sheltered nonetheless because when one resigns from society or gives up a passion, it feels like one may have lost a part of oneself. The foliage comes to depict the sense of loss, confusion, and doubt that follows that decision.