Photographing agoraphobia (B&W added)

[sclamb]

For many years my mother suffered from agoraphobia, wherein she could not leave the house for fear of panic attacks. This last weekend I was with my parents and was talking to my mother about what it felt like being agoraphobic. She said it was like sitting in a room and looking out of a window, but only looking at the edge of the frame rather than the open space beyond. Whilst she was focussed on the window and not the space she felt secure.

I thought about how I could take a picture to convey that sense. Well, for what it's worth, here is an attempt. Quite an ordinary picture as it goes, but I can sense the comfort my mother probably felt in focussing on the window, and leaving the wide open outdoors as a blur.

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Does this work?

 

[TOLady]

It's an ordinary picture..... until one reads your post.... then it becomes beautiful and sad at the same time. Very well done, Simon.

 

[sclamb]

Thanks Sandi, I appreciate your comments very much.

 

[stephen.s1]

Taken in context, it works splendidly!

Go for a series on this malady Simon. Judging from this shot, you'll probably come up a winner!

 

[StL_Don]

I agree with Sandi and Stephen.
As an illustration of the condition, say accompanying a magazine article on the subject, it is superb and works very well.
Without context it's a window.

Don

 

[GastheerG]

Nice. To make it stonger maybe B&W will work

 

[Mart61]

What a great picture that does, as has been said before, tell a sad story. The sequence, as Stephen suggests, would be good!

 

[Chris101]

Your picture and story make me want to stay inside. Good job of describing a mental state Simon. And the photograph is also very well done. That you focussed on the outer edge of the window, puts a suggestion of hope in the photograph.

 

[sclamb]

Taken in context, it works splendidly!

Go for a series on this malady Simon. Judging from this shot, you'll probably come up a winner!

Thanks Stephen. I fear I may not be creative enough to come up with anything of merit, although I do have one idea that I shall try and work on.

I agree with Sandi and Stephen.
As an illustration of the condition, say accompanying a magazine article on the subject, it is superb and works very well.
Without context it's a window.

Don

Thanks Don. It is interesting how an image of no particular technical or artistic merit can take on a meaning when viewed in a certain context.

Nice. To make it stonger maybe B&W will work

Thanks. I will try a gritty high contrast B&W conversion which may add a more depressive element to the picture.

What a great picture that does, as has been said before, tell a sad story. The sequence, as Stephen suggests, would be good!

Thanks. I shall see if my creative juices can come up with a new angle on this.

Your picture and story make me want to stay inside. Good job of describing a mental state Simon. And the photograph is also very well done. That you focussed on the outer edge of the window, puts a suggestion of hope in the photograph.

Thanks Chris. I do know that my mother got through this condition by gradually focussing on things further away and moving towards them, so having a focal point and keeping an almost tunnel vision to get to it. It took around around 10 years before she could venture out on her own.

 

[sclamb]

I did this b&W conversion with high contrast and added grain in PSCS2, which seems to convey a more depressing, forboding outside:

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Original:

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Thoughts? I like that the outside is now a series of shapes rather than having detail. I think B&W works better (thanks GastheerG), and will do some more on this theme in B&W.