A photographic comparison: A bright 2009, an anxious 2020 -

I went back to my roots the other day and stayed up (in spite of my morning responsibilities) and played with photoshop on some self-portraits.

Self-portrait photoshopped to have a circular motion blur and a yellow-orange color. Created in Photoshop. — The first is from 2009. I was fresh out of high school. The world felt big, exhilarating, and poetic.

Self Portrait combined with a stock image in Photoshop. Color has been altered to be a dark burgundy. — The second is from 2020. In the midst of a pandemic. The world felt isolating, uncertain, and fragile.

Practicing fun little photoshop tricks helps me feel like I’m regaining a little piece of myself back, which I didn’t realize I’ve been missing for so long. It reminds me of my beginnings and curiosity with photography, digital creation, and exploration of self. Staying up late into the night has always provided my quiet moments of self-expression. It’s when I can most easily enter a flow state and feel free.

What do you see when you reflect on an image of yourself from 2020, and approximately ten years earlier? For me, the contrast was stark.

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