As an individual, I deeply care about the “realness” of another person. The inspiration behind my photograph is my passion for knowing the true being of a person. Since I am planning on taking psychology as my major in university, this is the direction my heart decided to go as it deals with the soul, or the “inside” of all of us and the attitudes that come through with the right people around. This idea relates to the theme of inside/outside because of the conflicts of representation and expression between our inner true self and how we portray ourselves to different parts of society.

This photo shows a normal day in the city. I wanted to capture the tall buildings, signs, and streets that many people see every day. Even though the city is usually busy, this moment felt quiet and calm. The flowers on the street add a small touch of beauty in the middle of concrete and traffic lights. I think outdoor life in the city is a mix of movement and stillness. With this photo, I hope people take a closer look at the little things around them, like how nature and buildings can exist together. Sometimes, everyday places can tell the best stories.

My photograph depicts a world within a world. The reflected image inside the mirror aligns with the outside, creating a bridge where the boundaries between interior architecture and the exterior environment blur. It reflects not only the physical world but also how perception can change based on a different perspective. Without prior knowledge that the image was captured through a mirror, the black oval encloses the structure, and the reflection blends with the edges of the composition, obscuring the fact that you are viewing a mirrored image. Exploring the balance of light and shadow helped to give my photo a cinematic quality and feel as though you are looking into a place just out of reach.

I love taking photographs because it allows me to express myself and capture the things with deep meaning around me. Through my black and white photography, I explore calm and quiet moments and the theme of loneliness. By removing colour and focusing on texture, I aim to convey emotional depth, including isolation. My photography allows the viewers to reflect on their own experiences. I chose the name ‘Empty Doors’ to convey feelings of calm and loneliness. It is an invitation for the viewers to explore their own quiet moments.

Growing up, I loved animals, so my photography naturally reflects that fact. Through photography, I’ve been able to share this passion and capture the beauty I see in animals. 

As part of my process, I biked around the city and spotted an Eastern Meadowlark in an open field, a rare species in the city. This contrasted very well with the common American Robin, highlighting the differences between life in and out of the city for wildlife, and how animals struggle inside the city while others thrive. Through my work, I hope people will realize that we aren’t alone in our cities and that we need to share this space with other organisms.

The theme inside and outside inspired me to think more deeply than I initially thought. What inspired me to take my picture was reflecting on how I am on the outside versus how I am on the inside. For my work, I selected an image with the reflection of a person, only showing their dark shadow. This represents how I show myself to the world, meaning there is more to me. The reflection shows how I am on the inside, and it is the full picture that is meaningful, even though just the surface level is shown. Claude Monnet inspired me with his amazing photos of reflections in nature. This project excited me because it showed me more about myself.

This piece shows how appearances can be deceiving. I used shiny materials like mirrors, pearls, and designer wrapping to create a feeling of luxury and beauty. But at the center, there’s something rotten, showing that not everything perfect on the outside is good on the inside. I was inspired by the idea that people and objects are often judged by how they look, even when there’s something wrong underneath. Through this work, I want viewers to question what they see and think more deeply about the difference between appearance and reality.

For my photograph, I wanted to show the feeling of warmth, nostalgia, and comfort. Not only do I want this photograph to be interpreted visually, I want you to almost be able to smell the environment, hear the breeze and calm birds in the background, and feel the grass against your skin. This image follows the theme of inside/outside by bringing an “inner” child out. Going back to old hangout spots and lying down to relax while taking in that warm summer air right as the sun is about to set. Being able to revisit old memories is something that you must reach from within.

I took a photo of my grandfather’s windowsill. There’s an old chair and a dying plant surrounded by cool, muted blue and grey colours. Outside, the world looks full, glowing with warm and bright colours. The difference between inside and outside became a metaphor for feeling stuck in a place that feels empty, while wishing to be free and alive like the world outside. This photo captures how I feel —the heavy feeling of being trapped and wanting so badly to break free. I’ve always felt a strong pull toward nature, light, and the outside world, so this image feels like a piece of me. I wanted to show the struggle between feeling stuck and wanting freedom, and the part of me that’s always reaching for something beyond the frame.

I wanted to create a piece that manipulates light and space to capture the interplay between interior and exterior environments in public spaces.

In this image, I captured a space where the interior contrasts with the external environment. You can glimpse the meld of two worlds: the paths we traverse daily and the world that peeks through the spaces in between. 

As we go about our day, our surroundings often blur into a haze. However, when we stop and reflect, we become enveloped by our surroundings, finding the harmonious balance between them and discovering our belonging within.

In my work, I immerse myself in the complex relationship between the exterior world and the intimate space within. The line of demarcation disappears by means of the overlapping reflections and shades, light, converting the known into the unfamiliar, making it a mystery, and poetry. A plain window can go through the process of becoming a channel; the curtain can now be able to hide or show. 

Light penetrates inside and thus carries or projects the silhouettes of unknown elements, while the sounds from the street are heard vaguely, only a little distance from the glass.

My attention usually goes to the exchange of perception;  the way a room can still be very large inside, but also squeezed by the surroundings.

This image reflects how I often feel—caught between wanting to stay safe inside and wanting to reach out. The window sill, placed between the inside and outside, became the perfect place to show this feeling. The figure inside the glass is protected, yet the transparency shows that a connection to the outside still exists.

I tend to make quiet, thoughtful work that explores emotion through space and light. I didn’t fully know what this project would become when I started, so I kept my proposal open. As I experimented, this image naturally took shape.

I want viewers to see that being in-between is okay. You don’t have to be fully open or closed. There’s a quiet strength in simply existing where you are, and feeling both sides at once.