Experimental work 1
The below edits are inspired by Andrea Costantini's work, It is my take on digital photomontage.
Image © Sophie Whale
I started with a self portrait which I decreased the saturation of to give it a more drained, lifeless look. I then used the selection tool in Photoshop to select the top section of my head and free transformed it to place it at angle. As a factor of my anxiety is to do with time I photographed a selection of clocks and watch faces which I then " cut out" and layered over photograph to make it look like the clocks were inside the top of my head.
To add detail I added some hinges to the side of my head to make it look like the top of my head could be opened or closed. Using my graphics tablet I wrote some words which relate to feelings of panic or anxiety and layered them over the top above my head. To finish I changed the background from plain white to a white brick wall, I chose a brick wall because it has definition and texture but doesn't distract from the main subject. It also symbolises the sense of banging your head against a brick wall which can be linked to mental illness.
Image © Sophie Whale
For this image I added another layer. I used the paintbrush tool and a graphics tablet to draw a "scramble". This was to help portray how people with anxiety and mental issues feel. Everything becomes a muddle of thoughts that are difficult to decipher.
Image © Sophie Whale
The final change I made was to the colour of the "scramble" from white to red. I wanted to see what it would look like if it didn't blend in to the background. The red adds a more abrupt feel that I think over powers the image and distracts from the main subject.