MCKENZIE STYLC

People can be influenced positively or negatively. Many times people associate influence with being influenced to do drugs or drink alcohol. For my photo, I took it as a person is on a bad track and there is a positive influence in their life trying to help them. Throughout the brainstorming process I was thinking of ways to show a positive influence in life. Immediately a guardian angel came to mind.

Before I could shoot my photo I had to think of things that would symbolize someone being a guardian angel. I decided to have the person wear all white and then in photoshop have them look in a way like a spirit, so they don’t look human. A guardian angel is someone that looks after another person that is going downhill. To represent the guardian angel helping the person in trouble I had them put their hands on their shoulders like they would be saying “I’m here for you”. For the person that is going downhill I have them sitting in solitary with a bottle of alcohol looking down at the ground as if they are depressed and done with life.

During shooting I took photos of the “guardian angel” leaning down to the person, holding on their shoulders, their face in the photo, and their face out of the photo. Having the face of the angel out of the photo makes it look more realistic and angel like.

Using the guardian angel idea as a positive influence is different compared to just using the cliche bad influence picture. Having an angel present in the photo helps express the idea that even though you may be going down hill there is always someone there in some form to help you get through it and improve.