x – Emily McNally

Future

What’s inspiring to me about the future is how I know nothing about it. I have some expectations, but really how can I. There’s so much possibility, granted, for good and bad things, but let’s focus on the good for now.

Sure there’s college, friends and new experiences, but I aim to bring some of the past with me as well. Like valuable lessons I’ve learned, great people I’ve met and the passions I’ve pursued. I also haven’t dwelled on the future too much because it’s going to come no matter what I do, so lately I’ve been trying to be content with the present.

This photo may look far from inspiring, but I think it is a good representation of how I see the future. In the present, there’s light to guide us, beyond that we don’t know. Despite this, we, time, keeps going, only allowing us to see the future once it becomes the present.

I don’t know what lies ahead, as I only know what is lit by the headlights, but I’m sure I’ll find out soon enough.

Frame Within the Frame

Deep into the garden, I found a archway and upon walking through noted the striking contrast in lighting. The side I was on was protected by trees while the other side was brighter and more open. I increased the contrast and vibrance of the original photo to make the archway opening sharper and the brick darker, to make it feel as if the archway came out of nowhere.

Self-Portrait

People have told me that I seem to know what I’m doing and act very maturely. At certain times I think I fit this description, but a lot of the time no. I think this is a relatable and possibly normal feeling since as a society, we prefer to show others the cleaner, “better” side of ourselves and keep the messier side from view.

I took a picture of my desk because this is the corner of my room that I show during Zoom meetings. Due to this, I keep this area fairly clean and neat compared to the rest of my room. I think this accurately represents how I show myself to others and is literally how people see me.

Food

I took this while doing a photo assignment for the Midpeninsula Post and had the chance to go into the kitchen and try a slice of their cheesecake. Just by watching how the chef handled and cut the cheesecake I could tell how much care he put into making it.

Using Props

For props I used the spiral binding of a notebook to mimic a tunnel. When zooming in, the rings of the spiral appear closer than they actually are to give a sense of an enclosed space. When putting the lens flush against the notebook, the viewer is almost given the impression that they can walk through the rings since the scale is manipulated.

Deadly Sins

Envy: a feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else’s possessions, qualities, or luck.

I think envy is something I feel and can relate to the most. It’s very easy to make comparisons in our society and want the success other are having. This is evidently a dangerous trap to fall in as it makes the situation worse. If someone has found success through the hard work they put in behind the scenes then they deserve the fruits of their labor. If someone is naturally talented or happens to be “lucky” then good for them, there is little reason to hold negative emotions toward them.

I took a picture of holding an apple because when I think of envy, I think of apples, and not just because envy apples exist. I see an apple as a symbol of the fruits of one’s labor someone else may possess.

Current Events

When thinking of current events, what immediately comes to mind for me is the recent shooting that resulted in the loss of multiple Asian American lives. As someone who was born in China and raised in the U.S. the news hit a nerve to say the least. Hate against the Asian community is not new and spiked when COVID-19 entered the picture, although the situation escalated significantly this month. Recently and in the past year I’ve noticed how people have taken to social media to spread information and overall raise awareness of the issue.

Depth of Field

For this photo I wanted to use depth of field to emphasize the hand and mouse. I used a smaller F stop (f/3.5) to ensure the hand and mouse would be the only things in focus. When using the computer, I feel like the mouse is an extension of my hand and not just another inanimate object since I’ve used it for a couple months now and feel more comfortable using it.

Storms

I took this photo in August of 2020 when the Bay Area witnessed a significant lightening storm that started in the middle of the night and died off in the morning. I would have taken a picture this month, although I felt that we didn’t have many significant storms. I also felt that this photo illustrated how powerful nature can be, even in a place that usually has moderate weather like Silicon Valley.

I always really enjoy watching and taking pictures of lightening, although I know disastrous consequences can come from them. In this case the lightening set off numerous wildfires in California which led to a long period of smoke overtaking the state as well as many people losing their homes. Storms can be beautiful for their wildness, but they act without conscience.

Musical

I started to learn how to play piano when I was seven and continued lessons until early high school. I didn’t have a lot of time to play during high school and it wasn’t until the shelter in place that I genuinely appreciated being able to play piano. Even though I hadn’t had a lesson in years, I still remember enough to take on almost any song I want to learn.

This has been particularly helpful when I want to learn the piano version of songs I listen to now. Over the past year I’ve taken the time to learn pieces ranging from “Bohemian Rhapsody” to songs from a musical called Dear Evan Hansen, and most recently songs by the South Korean group, BTS.

Now that I think about it, I think it’s so cool how one instrument can cover such a broad range of genres and mediums. Despite having only 66-88 keys, the possibilities truly seem endless when it comes to the piano.