Claude was a French lesbian photographer born in 1894. She moved to Jersey in 1937 and became active as propagandists and resistance workers during the second world war when the Nazis took over the Channel Islands.

She was sentenced to death in 1945 however it was never carried out due to the Liberation of the Channel Islands from Nazi power. Cahun used photography to express herself and her political views.

Image Analysis

The lighting in this image is very dark with areas of very bright light that could be coming from a window and reflecting on the glass of the subject in the image, which then reflects on the black surface underneath . The darkness of the image allows the viewer to focus on the image of the woman in the dome and the actual dome itself. The brightness on the glass allows the woman to look three dimensional and could allow the viewer to sense the mood of the image.

The fact that the image is in black and white allows the viewer to focus on the contrasts in the image. The image in the dome has mainly dark colours which allows the viewer to see them as a happy person however the black background of the image emphasises the fact that her past was quite dark and she was treated poorly in the prison she was sent to in 1944.

The glass dome could highlight the fact that you are only a tiny fraction of the population of the world; you must live your life the way you want, and the way you believe is correct.

The texture of the image is smooth until the dome which allows the viewer to focus straight onto the centre of the image and on Cahun herself.

Edward Honaker

Edward Honaker is a photographer now in his mid-twenties . When he was younger, he used photography to express himself while he was suffering badly from depression.

His images highlight some of the lowest feelings he has had, with the reoccurring theme of feeling like the odd one out and feeling like he didn’t belong in this society/world.

I chose Honaker to inspire me for my work because music is the way i choose to escape reality and the world just like he used photography to take his mind off the depressive thoughts in his head.

Image Analysis

This image allows the viewer to understand that Honaker’s brain is never still. His body may seem calm and relaxed however his mind is constantly working, or in his case his brain keeps haunting him. The image also expresses the fact that he doesn’t feel like he belongs. He’s sat in an empty room wearing a suit, this could represent the social anxiety he has or even the fact that he feels all alone in the world with no one there to support him.

Honaker used a slow shutter speed and moved his head to create a blurred effect; this allows the viewer to further understand Honaker’s thoughts and feelings. The dark tones throughout the whole image further represents the fact that Honaker struggles to see the light in the world. It could also represent the fact that he believes the people around him see him as a sad and angry person.

The image is in black and white which allows the viewer to notice how Honaker, in this stage of his mental health, is unable to see any light/colour in his life.

The wallpaper behind the man could represent the fact that there is no moment of silence for him. He feels like he is permanently getting judged.

There is a lot of different textures in the image which allows the viewer to try and understand what the main focus of the image is.

Comparison of images:

• 

• 

Both of these images are self portraits. Cahun’s is showing the viewer who she is with confidence and showing that she is proud of who she is and doesn’t care what your opinion of her is. Honaker’s however, is the opposite. The image represents the fact that he no longer knows who he is and therefore can no longer recognise himself in the mirror. Both these images send a strong message to the viewer however, the messages contradict each other.

Although both images are in black and white, Honaker’s is clearly a lot darker than Cahun’s. Honaker’s has a shadow covering the mirror representing the depression that has taken over his mind and body. He is unable to look at anything without the dark thoughts taking over his brain.

Cahun’s image is very light with the only dark object being a cabinet behind him. This could represent the fact that Cahun has put all the negative thoughts to the back of her mind and is focusing on the good things in her life and the excitement of what the future holds.

Honaker has blurred out his face which allows the viewer to understand that this disease has created a new person and rather than being able to find the happiness and beauty in his life, the disease has made him isolate from the world and only focus on the negatives. This links to the shadow, representing the depression, creeping over him and slowly removing the happiness from his life.

In Cahun’s image, the reflection is looking back. This could represent the fact that Cahun is looking into the past, now proud of how far she has come in the years of injustice and pain.

Both photographers use a mirror as the main focus of the image which showing that the reflection in that mirror isn’t always the same as what is shown on the surface.