My two objects are a router, with ethernet cables, and a band aid. The router represents connectivity; it grants us access to the internet which connects us all. The ethernet cables represent people, the two yellow cables are plugged in (connected to the system so to speak) while the blue cable is disconnected. If you look closely, you can see that the unused ports are obstructed by a band aid, a metaphor for how society harms itself by excluding unique ideas and people (the blue cable). I took the photo during the afternoon so that longer shadows could be cast; to create more depth. I made sure to focus the attention to the ethernet cables and the band aid, and have the router more prominent in the foreground.
Uniqueness is portrayed through the color of the cables, the blue cable stands out through the conformity of yellow. While isolation, is illustrated through the band aid which acts as a barrier that creates a clear disconnect between the blue cable and the system. Band aids are used to keep out germs and to aid the healing process as the name suggests. In this scenario, the band aid is also a metaphor for the social stigma around being different. The system places a band aid on itself to prevent germs (uniqueness) from entering (participating in the system), hence making those individuals feel isolated.
In Photoshop, I subtly tweaked the photo using an “S curve” to increase contrast and color saturation. I also added a vignette to place even more emphasis on the objects. In my original photo there was a crack in the cement that ran through the background; which I found to be quite distracting, draining attention away from the objects. I removed the crack completely by using the healing brush tool.
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