Achluophobia- Fear of darkness
The common fear of darkness is represented in this photo; with the lack of light in the photo, and in technical terms. Only one soft box was used in conjunction with a black background (low key set up) to truly express the fear in the image. The image is also slightly ambiguous, as it is not known whether the model has blown out the image themselves or are reacting to it being blown out. I have mainly been inspired by Adam Hurst's portraits in which he clearly displays the model's emotions and reactions to an event. However, I have also included way of obscuring the face in the use of a smoke brush in Photoshop. Despite not looking surreal in terms of early surrealism (for example, Dali or Magritte), however, Breton said surrealism was the absence of all control, which is similar to how a fear, especially a phobia is the absence of rationality.
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Agoraphobia - fear of being in situations where escape might be difficult
This image was also taken in a low key set up, and represents how agoraphobia can make someone feel trapped inside themselves; a thin veil is used to separate the model with the outside, which is all darkness. The permability of the cloth means that the model's expressions are visible, clearly demonstrating the fear and desperation felt in being trapped, however, to show the struggle felt, I have distorted the face to create a separation between expression and fear, as some people do suffer in silence with their fears; reinforced by the way the model is clawing the cloth as a means of both physical and mental escape. This implicitly links Tyler Grace's idea of making someone look less human by removing their face to my own work.
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Automatonophobia - fear of anything that falsely represents a sentient being.
The idea of supernatural doll's is a repetitive idea within the media and cinema; for example the movie 'Annabelle'. Further creating this fear to be realised. In this image, I motion blurred the doll whilst keeping the model still, creating an eerie contrast between the real human and the synthetic one. The expression of disinterest on the model's face further highlights this divide, as the moving doll instantly grabs the viewer's attention, whereas the person stands behind unceremoniously. The idea of movement contrasted with stillness is similar to Tyler Grace's 'a fragmented soul', wherein the movement shows the person inside; similarly in this image, the moving object shows the fear inside.
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Hemophobia - Fear of blood
The sinister nature of this image is entirely due to the deep contrast within the image; the deep black of the shadows, contrasted with the deep red of the blood, contrasted with the white skin of the model, ultimately shows the fear clearly. The surreal element is portrayed in the horror aspect of the image, the questions raised from the image; where did the blood come from? (Due to the fact there is no obvious source). The bloody hand is the only thing in frame, and the low key lighting highlights the horror nature. I made fake blood to make this photo, as I wanted to use real special effects rather than just digitally enhancing it, overall creating an effect image.
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