Photographing agoraphobia (B&W added)

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.



Does this work?

 

Thanks Sandi, I appreciate your comments very much.

 

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.

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.

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

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

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.

 

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



Original:



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.