From: Phillip
My photo was an attempt to capture the “tough guise” that we covered in class. Being a cisgendered male, I felt that I had the most experience with this topic and would be able to effectively use different photography techniques in order to demonstrate a deeper meaning to a photo. The strategies that I ended up taking advantage of in order to complete this assignment include symbolism, camera angle, and lighting. For context of my picture, I recently lost my dad to his fight with cancer after a 2 year battle.
The first strategy I used, and the most significant in my opinion, is symbolism. In my picture my father’s urn is meant to represent emotional loss, strain, and strength. Placed in parallel to the urn was a dumbbell which is intended to represent more physical strength, and traditional masculine strength that men are expected to have. I feel that in accordance with “tough guise” men are never meant to be emotionally strong but should be emotionally absent while remaining as physically tough as they can be. In the picture it is a more minute detail, but the dumbbell was placed so it was approaching the camera but did not overpower the foreground. This was to demonstrate the outwards appearance of physical strength men need to always have on to avoid being mocked, but behind that strength there is just as much emotional work that needs to be done. Just because a man can clearly go to the gym doesn’t mean that he can easily handle great loss, and that is what my picture is meant to represent.
Another strategy I used is a little more point blank in nature, and that is the camera angle. The picture was taken with the subject directly in front of both subjects. This was done intentionally to demonstrate how men are expected to take on all of their struggle headfirst and should not view any thing as greater than themselves. It also demonstrates that men shouldn’t ignore their problems, because that would be cowardly. Facing adversity headfirst is the only way to deal with your problems, despite how healthy it is.
This final strategy I took consideration of is lighting. This holds by my design the most obscure meaning behind my photograph. There are a couple reasons I chose to light my picture the way that I did. The first one being that when people traditionally think about time, they think of it moving from left to right. In my photo the greatest source of light is coming from the right side of the photograph and that is meant to signify that you can only be happy once you are past your struggles, which is in my opinion how the worlds worked should the tough guise not exist. However, this assignment would not exist without the existence of the tough guise. That brings up the second layer of the lighting in my photo and that involves where the shadows are being cast. The harsh lighting casts a shadow on a majority of both the urn and the weight. Only about half of either subject is illuminated and that shows how it is only acceptable to show a portion of your struggle and most of your coping should be done in the dark, away from others, behind closed doors so nobody knows about it.
3 comments:
Your message reached me but I wish it could reach society. Throughout life I’ve been taught that men should be stronger both mentally and physically. Without even knowing I was already falling into gender roles and believing that a man will always automatically be more capable of things than I was. When I saw your photo and the true meaning behind it I felt ashamed of what my mentality was. I realized that the word “men” had nothing to do with how you should act or appear, it’s just a word that society has attached rules to. Who am I to say men can’t cry and feel all these emotions just like I do. And the worst part is that even some men believe that they aren’t entitled to having emotions, specifically sad ones. I wish the world was nicer to not only you but also every man out there that believes their weak or fragile because of what society says. I want to finish my comment by also thanking you for sharing something deep with the class and I’m sure it's not easy to talk about a loved one passing away.
This photo not only clearly captures the tough guise, but also appears to have symbolism that the creator may not have even noticed. One of the first things I noticed was the sand-like texture on the ground which the weight and urn sit. The sand could symbolize the unstableness of masculinity and how life (the weight) and death (the urn) can sit on such shifting grounds as well as serve as contrast from the solid objects. The weight not only could symbolize the idea of being tough, but also the unyielding mentality masculinity pushes on men and young boys. It reinforces that even in the face of death (facing the urn), a “masculine man” is not easily moved or deterred both physically and emotionally. I also interpreted the weight as the literal weight of putting on the tough guise. Having to shut away emotions, constantly watch how one behaves, and facing the weight of societal pressure must be heavy. And like most weights, it seems ok at first, easy 15lbs is nothing; but after a few minutes, that weight becomes heavy. Lastly, I took the urn to symbolize two aspects of the tough guise. One, that whoever created the idea of a tough guise and how it applies to masculinity is likely dead, yet these ideals live on. Second, that every man must face their mortality eventually. Do they want to die looking at the stubborn but “tough” man they were (the weight)? Or be at peace with themselves and face the light?
One of my favorite parts of this photo is the light glare from the right. I can see this light symbolizing the freedom of death from the exhausting and scrutinizing gaze of society and as a hope casting a shadow on the old ideas of “toughness.”
The overall composition of the photo is well balanced and the high contrast between the light background and floor with the pitch-black objects makes both a satisfying photo as well as an impactful one. The presence from this photo feels strong and assertive, like how men are taught to behave in society.
-NM
From: Daniela
Phillip, both your essay and your picture captures the facade the “tough guise” men use and the whole amount of damage it brings. The “tough guise” completely consumes men to always show to people that they are strong and are on guard all the time, ready to fight if necessary. The dumbbell in your picture represents the emotional work men have been taught to ignore and suppress at an early age to appear put together all the time, when in reality, in the inside they are facing a turmoil no one can imagine; it is done extremely well. Seeing your father’s urn, it really is just a good touch on the photo. When I first saw the photo and the way of the lighting, I thought of it more as since men have so much weight and pressure on them all the time to conform with what society has deemed them to be, when they die, all of that is gone. Even in their last moments, they can appear to be strong and tough, but once they pass, they are liberated by the expectations everyone holds men at. When I was looking at your piece, I thought about my grandfather. That he tried his best to look put together and strong even when he was in his last moments of life. Breathing limitedly and using his actions sparingly. But once I saw him, he looked at peace. No longer worrying about the rest of the family and trying to appear better than he really was. Your work really reminded me of how this “tough guise” really is just horrible, terrible, unrealistic, and unhealthy for men. That this construction of masculinity should not be the norm it presently is and seen in so many forms within society. Thank you so much for sharing with us something so intimate. I hope you and your family are doing better than a few years ago. My condolences to your father.
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