Flashback Friday: “Beautiful Struggles” Portfolio

Five years ago, I created the “Beautiful Struggles” Portfolio for my senior year high school project. “Beautiful Struggles” showcases that despite the “ugly” struggles we go through in life, there is a beautiful outcome in the end. Hope you enjoy!!! 📷😊

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He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

To start off the series, let me introduce a recurring theme: 2-in-1. Yup, 2 photos in one (‘cuz 2 is better than one😜). This is a combination of 2 different photos to create one picture that can tell a million different stories. This one, in particular, is inspired by that scene in a movie where the girl picks the flower petals off and wonders whether her crush likes her or not.

*Fun fact: This picture placed “Outstanding Interpretation” (1st along with many others) in a county-wide contest (Reflections). So this is a pretty special piece for me! 😁

Static

This next picture is called Static. Again, just like the first photo (and pretty much this whole series), it was all just experimenting. I was just seeing how different photos would look together and I ended up with this interesting “texture.” The texture reminded me of static on an old TV, so that’s how the name came to be. Going back to the whole series, this represents how our minds feel when we’re under a lot of stress: like an old TV full of static, struggling to become a clear screen.

Set Me Free

So in this piece, there are 2 people (me lol); one turned to look out into the window and the other looking to the side. There are many times where we had to “become somebody else” to live up to other people’s expectations, fit a certain standard, etc, which in turn, makes you suppress the real you that wants to shine bright. You compromise your own unique self for a “just-another-face-in-the-halls” type of person. Sometimes, you just gotta be… Set me free.

*Fun fact: This is actually one of the first pieces I’ve used for the portfolio assignment in school. I created this picture in my junior year of high school. My friend and fellow photo buddy was the one who first suggested I should put 2 photos together! I love how it turned out, so that’s how I ended up making this one of the themes in my portfolio! 📷❤😊

Distressed

It’s that time of the school year where you’re getting the hang of school and getting used to the transition when all of a sudden, you get 2 papers due the same day, an exam the next day, study guides for the test coming up next week, etc, etc. Man, being a student is hard haha. All these piles of work being thrown at us make us go crazy and, well, distressed. HANG in there! You got this!

Fragile

There’s something magical about bubbles. The idea is that you blow water and soap to create something that floats in the air. Then in an instant, it disappears. It shows how fragile they are. A simple touch can instantly break apart the bubble. It’s the same with us; Sometimes we have bad days and just one word or act can break us. We live in a time and age where there’s so much hate going on in the world and we just forget how fragile life is sometimes. People act tough and may seem okay, but deep down, there’s a sensitive person… And that’s okay, because that’s what makes us human. We should use that sensitivity to be empathetic to others and bring others up.

Cloudy Thoughts

Many times we get caught up in life that sometimes we tend to lose ourselves. In a sense, we find ourselves “driving in the fog,” not knowing clearly where you’re going. Or sometimes we feel like the dark clouds are taking over and a huge rainstorm is coming ahead. But soon, the fog will go away and the clouds will give way to the sun. Our paths and thoughts will be clear as day and we’ll be on our way!

Overcome

Yay finally we’re at the turning point in the series (my favorite part!). You’ve finally learned to solve the problems in life, learned to accept the circumstances, became a better person, and even learned something on the way! You’re victorious in this fight and will overcome that obstacle! Like they say, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” @kellyclarkson

Growing Up

I conclude the series with this picture. After all the struggles and finally overcoming them, you are able to grow up and move on to the next chapter in your life. Keep going and fight the good fight! You will get through it and overcome it! You can only go up from here on out! The ugly struggles helped shape you into a beautiful person who is ready for the next step in life! Believe in yourself! You will be prosperous!

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Which piece stood out to you from the “Beautiful Struggles” Portfolio? Comment down below! If you want some more portfolio and photography art ideas, check out this blog post.

Interesting Photography Art Ideas for Creative People