DesignersYasmin Dehghannegad
I studied the importance of representation of the marginalized communities and the importance of their lived experience. I wanted to communicate the lived experiences of BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and people of disability through portraits that tell a story. Sharing the lived experiences is vital because it would share the importance of representation and understanding the lived experiences of these individuals. (Community partner: the Unique Get Together Society).
In the fall semester, my research topic focused on the Representation of BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and People with Disability in the Media and how I could translate and deliver photographic images that convey the lived experiences of the marginalized community. I did data collection that consisted of a visual analysis, an online survey, and a participatory activity. The participatory activity was the most vital data collection I did, as it revealed the most diverse perspective of individuals within the marginalized community.
I wanted to showcase the raw emotions of the individuals captured in the frame, showcasing the light side and the dark side. I wanted to keep the portraits clean and minimal with crisp lighting and neutral backgrounds to focus on the model's facial expressions, emotions, body language, and individuality. I captured both individual and group shots to showcase the importance of community.
With this set of light photos, I wanted to communicate raw happiness, showing that we as a community are happy to be who we areand where we come from. For the dark side photos, I wanted to capture the raw hardships of the individuals. Even though there are endless positives to being part of such a fantastic community, there are also many difficulties and hardships. I wanted the facial expression and eyes to tell a story of the marginalized community's lived experience.
The main idea for the group shots was to show community and togetherness. I wanted to showcase the variety of diverse individuals captured within the frame.
