Artist Statement:
“Under The Moonlight” is a series that I created with the idea of self-reflection and a yearning to break free from the fear of being judged. In every photograph, I focused on one single light source shining on the characters in the scene and having my characters express and pose in a way that brings out their personal intrinsic qualities. I find that people show their true expressions, actions, and feelings when they are in solitude and in the absence of eyes that may judge them. I wanted to create a world wherein the subjects are not subjected to the eyes of judgment and are able to break free from their shells.
In this world, there is a strong emphasis on the idea of the moonlight shining upon the subjects. For a long time, I found that the moon seems to be a somber and lonely figure sitting in the sky alone, but also a beautiful figure. Thus, I wanted to use the idea of the moon and emulate its figure through the usage of a flashlight shining upon my subjects. However, instead of projecting the image of a woeful moon, I emphasized a beautiful and powerful moon upon my subjects to highlight their individual details. When one fully stops to appreciate the moon, one can see that it is a beautiful calm figure floating in the sky with both its perfect points and its imperfections. Like how people are, we are imperfect, but we try to hide our imperfections. Rather than hiding, I want to show my subjects at their purest state.
In the process of creating “Under The Moonlight”, I used a white flashlight to create a complementary color to the warm orange tone of the background. The use of the flashlight was to balance the colors and create a contrast, but it was also to emulate the symbol of the moon and create the feeling of a spotlight. The setting of the shots were also chosen to be in places devoid of people and with soft orange lighting. I chose this type of lighting and setting because it creates a certain serenity and soft feeling to the photo that emphasizes the silence throughout the setting. and
