The narrative I wanted to communicate was a day in my life when I am feeling low.The props I used included- the book shelves in my bedroom, my camera and my medication packet.The lighting was poor on the day I took this which could have been a problem but in fact I think it chimes with the mood and the imperfections in the photographs (eg in the upper left corner of the self portrait )also add to this so I didn’t feel I wanted to take the pictures on a day with brighter light.

I needed to use a shallow depth of field because of the poor lighting and a high ISO. I chose black and white as this particular day seemed so gloomy and lacking in colour.The shallow depth of field allowed me to blur my face in the self portrait and to draw attention to the raindrops on the window.

In the first two photographs the use of the grid in the bedroom shelving is mirrored by the pill packets , whilst in the second the circle of the camera is mirrored by the light circle of the living room reflected in the window. This emphasises these two patterns. The grid is a powerful framing / hanging device used by photographers such as Wolfgang Tillmans and used in art by modernists including Agnes Martin. The circle is a universal symbol with extensive meaning which can represent timelessness, the self and eternity.

Depression can be seen as an eternal struggle ( the circle) and as an enclosed box-like existence ( grid) hence the symbols in this piece of work.