I followed the concept of developing an abstraction, which conveyed the life of the individual, using the overt image of the face. My first response to the world is to evolve on goings in life into portraiture. Through combining the dirt and grit of the world with the face, I wanted to create a sense of damage with a glamorous undertone emphasised by lighting, colour and saturation.

Still unusual to the average portrait, the detail and clarity added a post-apocalyptic sense, creating the stillness within the photographs. The background and smaller details in the images are the underlying discoveries from the peripheral vision and therefore is unexpected and unnoticed until further inspection.

The tone of the portrait has already been established; intimate, confrontational and offering a sense of vacancy. Slightly airing on the surreal elements of portraiture in the manipulation style, the addition of commercial lighting obscures the expected artistic interpretation of portraiture.

I wanted to portray the raw depth of a person subtly, showing aspects of their essential nature. The dirt and feculence people pick up from the world, physically and metaphorically is shown by intensifying their insecurities through use of lighting to pick up every blemish on their face.

Contrasting the clarity of imperfections, the lighting verges on commercialism whilst opposing the commercial expectations of perfection. The portraits are confrontational and challenge the viewer to confront the impurities in their own lives.

Adjusting the subject's view away from the audience showcases the mindlessness, thoughtlessness and vacancy I want to portray throughout my images. My work is about the ambiguity of people.