Conceptual: A Junior Design Student Conceptual Project by Loren Chun (2017)

I am exploring the feeling of overhwlemed through the experience of flying.

The objects in my photo are a painter’s sponge, water, and paper stars. In my photo, the water and the stars simply fall onto and around the sponge, like a waterfall, drowning the sponge. I set my camera at a low shutter speed to capture the motion of the stars and chose to shoot at eye level with the sponge in order make the stars which fell in the foreground look as if they were smothering the sponge. I created a light source on the side of the photo, so that the light would reflect off of the water and make it visible to the viewer. As for the background, I chose to place the sponge in front of dark leaves to add contrast between the yellow of the sponge and the paper stars. I also used the leaves to diffuse the water in different areas around the sponge to make the water seem like it was surrounding the sponge and overwhelming it more.

The sponge being overwhelmed by the stars ultimately represents us as human beings becoming overwhelmed by the freedom, adrenaline, anxiety, and fear that comes from flying. The sponge is able to absorb the water like we are able to embrace the freedom and excitement which we feel when achieving the impossible. However, it is unable to absorb the stars which are the fears or apprehensions that may hold us back from flying. We fear not only falling, but also the heights we will reach, and can become so overwhelmed by this fear that we retreat and remain grounded. Thus, in the process of flying, we become overwhelmed by these contrasting emotions.

In Photoshop, I practiced using the pen tool as well as making and saving selections. I used the pen tool in order to make a precise selection around the sponge, so that I may add the underwater photo filter onto it. This emphasized the overwhelming aspect of my photo as it gives the impression of the sponge being submerged in the sea and drowning. I also made use of inverting the selection to desaturate the surroundings, while increasing the vibrancy of the sponge, and using the burn tool on the edges of the sponge to create more contrast.