photo essay about identity

shannoncorreia

Photo Essay: Show me your identity

Photo Essay based on the theme of identity. 

I asked 8 people, chosen at random, to draw something that represents their identity on their hand. The task was simple for some who had an immediate idea of what represented them. Others struggled with the concept. The photos were taken at a public location in which people from many different walks of life can be found.

Hands were chosen as a medium as they themselves display identity. Hands hold fingerprints which are unique to each and every individual. Hands are also used by people in their everyday lives and can be what people use to create things with and to show emotion, such as a caress or a hand signal. Furthermore, hands can be very telling of a person. Some people believe that the lines can be indicative of a person’s life and personality. This editing was chosen as it exposes the prominent lines which are visible on the hands. They hold untold stories about people through their texture and the presence of calluses or jewellery, for example.

The participants were asked to draw something as opposed to writing something as it allowed for a visual representation which is both unusual and creates a visual outcome. A marker was used as it stains the skin and is a means of imprinting how one feels about themselves internally on their bodies. The hands were photographed palm-side up and open, as an invitation to the viewer.

I chose to make these photos conceptual as it allows the viewer to draw their own ideas about who the people are and what each image means. By making the photographs ambiguous, the viewer can relate to the images and see them from an artist standpoint. The background of the photos was a rose plant, which provided a textured background and represents how people live in and amongst nature. The colour of roses also holds significance as it can mean love, friendship, innocence, to name a few. Regardless of the colour, it holds positive associations, therefore acting as a means of support for the person’s identity. By having the background be consistent for all of the photos, it also alludes to the fact that all people have things in common. The photos were all combined at the end as a means of connecting people.

These are the images that each of the 8 participants drew and their brief explanations:

• A lifeline (to represent how being alive plays an important factor in one’s identity)
• An eye (as the window to a soul)
• A heart, star and anchor (as a lover who is grounded and living in an unknown galaxy)
• A queen ant (as someone who likes them)
• A bullet (living life on the edge)
• A cross (religion navigating one’s identity)
• A music note (as a musician)
• A smiley face (as a happy-go-lucky person)

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Hello! Rife Magazine ceased publishing new work in July 2022.

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i for Identity: A photo essay

Arts/Culture / Lifestyle / Social Issues

We start to form our identities at an early age. A simple translation of identity is what characterises a person and how they are viewed by the wider world.  I’ve always found it hard to categorise myself . 

My identity already felt like a spectrum at a very young age. I felt like I didn’t belong anywhere specific. Whether I was thinking about my religious beliefs or cultural values, I struggled to put myself in a box.

My primary identity was built through my parents’ values: they believe in the importance of religion and education. Therefore, the church and my school were two institutions that were significant in my upbringing. Despite their importance in my family, defying those solid concepts somehow came naturally to me when I was younger. As a young girl I recall questioning religion and gender roles in inappropriate settings.

Growing up as a Catholic in Asia already made me a minority. Pakistan is an Islamic country and 96% of the population practices Islam. Moving to Dorset reinforced the same idea of being a minority, but on a larger scale. This time it was a struggle due to my race and gender. As the only Asian girl in my class, I had an accent and came from a culture that people had a lot of preconceived assumptions about. I often felt I had to whitewash myself to fit in. Once again, the routine of questioning my identity became apparent in my Western life. I developed the ability to code my speech when speaking to white people or somebody in a position of power, removing myself from a cultural and religious narrative and following the Western trend of self-liberation.

The Urdu word ‘Kurbani قربانی ’ translates to ‘sacrifice,’ which is symbolic to me losing certain aspects of my culture. I created the text through laser cutting the text on a cardboard border and exposing it to light though an enlarger in a dark room. I am no longer as religious as I was brought up to be and I no longer place so much emphasis on societal norms and values for women. In the past, I saw my differences in a destructive way and remember disregarding my Asian identity to fit in the western world.

Today, I use this to my advantage. From being brought up in South East Asia to moving to the United Kingdom, I have experienced a different social cultures and seen many shifts in national trends. I am able to shift and adapt to unfamiliar environments and my ever-changing identity inspires me every day.

How has your identity formed? Let us on on social media.

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About the author.

Qezz is a photographer and filmmaker in Bristol. Her work concentrates on themes of identity, BAME experience, and youth culture through her viusal series. She started as a Rife content creator and has worked at Bristol 24/7 as their photojournalist. Qezz hopes to carry on sharing unrepresented stories with her camerawork and visual stories.

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Home — Essay Samples — Psychology — Body Image — Exploration of Identity through Self-Image

Exploration of Identity Through Self-image

• Categories: Being Yourself Body Image Self Esteem

About this sample

Words: 642 |

Published: Sep 1, 2023

Words: 642 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

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Identity Photo Essay

Description

As the school year begins, embark on a thought-provoking journey of self-discovery with your students through the lens of identity. This captivating photo essay assignment invites students to explore the multifaceted layers of who they are and what shapes their sense of self.

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