UGTS, Portraits of Individuals in the Marginalized Community

For my capstone course in my final year of my degree, I collaborated with the Unique Get Together Society (UGTS) and 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.

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 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 the 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.

Client: Unique Get Together Society
Date: 2020/09-2021/04