The end of term project, for my Senior year Portfolio Development class, was to create and showcase a new work that outlines the ideas and impact of both Imposter Syndrome and the Dunning -Kruger effect. The two cognitive biases can impact the career of anyone, whether they are an artist or business professional.
As a photographer, I chose to create a visual work in diptych form of composited images portraying the attitudes or emotions one would expect from these two biases. I started by looking for inspiration works to figure out how I wanted to edit the final images. I ensured I had the necessary tools and supplies, found two models, secured their agreement, and scheduled the shoot.
I originally intended to use two models and so I shot both. During the shoot, I realized one of the models was struggling to convey the ideas I was wanting, so I shot images of both models portraying both ideas, so that I would have options. After the shoot, while editing the images it was even more apparent that there was a difference between the two. I continued to prepare for using both models, but when creating the composition, I realized the image looked out of balance using two different models and using two different backdrops. I wound up using images of only one model against the black backdrop. It adds a symmetry to the final composition that I like.