Studying shutter speed revealed that it not only controls the duration of light exposure but also directly shapes the sense of motion in an image. Fast shutter speeds freeze moments, conveying power and speed, while slow shutter speeds create blurred, flowing visual effects—such as water movement or light trails in nightscapes. Classroom analyses of Henri Cartier-Bresson's “decisive moment” and Hiroshi Sugimoto's long-exposure works revealed the philosophical depth behind technical choices—photography transcends mere documentation to become a recreation of time and space.

In the afternoon, we went to the library to read books from the reading list and conduct research for our projects. This gave me a deeper theoretical understanding of photographic concepts and helped me connect technical practice with academic analysis. Through both the darkroom practice and research session, I realized that photography combines technical precision with creative and critical thinking.

The image reflected in the mirror is both “I” and “the self being observed.”

might try: A camera appears in the mirror, the photographer's hand, or another person's shadow into the mirror's reflection.

2.The Boundary Between Subjectivity and Objectivity

Mirrors blur the line between reality and reflection. This embodies the philosophical questions of “truth and falsehood,” “reality and construction” in photography.

might try: distorted mirrors, water reflections.

3.Power & Visibility

Use mirror compositions to reveal the power dynamics between photographer and subject.

might try: capturing someone gazing through a mirror, or photographing someone through a mirror.

The subject faces the mirror and sees a “self” that is both familiar and unfamiliar.

The camera within the mirror simultaneously observes him/her.

“Subjectivity” is disrupted here—I am no longer merely myself, but become an “object being seen.”

Photo2

The subject stands before the mirror, trying to find their reflection;

Yet at the edge of the mirror, the photographer's shadow, hand, or corner of the camera appears.

Though not at the center of the frame, the photographer holds control over the image.

Photo3

What the audience sees is not merely a reflection in the mirror,

but the mirror's reverse side, the photography lights, the tripod, and the studio's actual environment.

The fictional nature of the image is laid bare.

The subject begins to realize:

“The way I am presented is not real—it is constructed.”

Photo4

The subject no longer merely stands before the mirror but reaches out toward its surface.

The palm nearly touches the reflection.

This gesture symbolizes:

The subject begins to enter their own visual narrative, rather than passively accepting being observed.

Photo5

The subject holds a mirror, allowing it to reflect themselves in the way they choose.

This is self-definition.

No longer dictated by cameras, mirrors, or power structures:

“I choose how I am seen.”

Subjectivity occupies a central position in Soleimani's work, where she uses her family's history of exile and her mother's political imprisonment as the visual foundation for her narrative, presenting her subjective understanding of political trauma. By staging meticulously arranged photographic scenes, she challenges the notion that “photography is objective documentation,” making viewers aware that images always carry the creator's intent. Power manifests symbolically through imagery such as aircraft shadows, chess pieces, migratory birds, and prison architecture. These symbols reveal how authoritarian regimes shape individual lives, transforming private experiences into political issues.

In Soleimani's work, I see how composition can create psychological and political depth through layering and arrangement. She constructs complex spaces using foreground objects, images affixed to backgrounds, and multiple textures. Her lighting is highly symbolic—strong directional light casts shadows with narrative meaning. A deep depth of field keeps all elements in focus, emphasizing that every detail is part of the story. Shutter speeds are sufficiently fast to ensure that constructed scenes are rendered with sharp clarity.

Soleimani's work provided me with multiple techniques applicable to my final project:

Symbolic Shadows: Her use of shadows inspired me to employ light in mirror photography to reveal or challenge power structures.

Layered spaces: Her collage-like compositions made me consider how to create multiple realities within reflections—where the subject, reflection, and photographer coexist.

Constructing meaning: She showed me photography needn't be documentary; it can be conceptual and theatrical.

Compositionally, circular mirrors serve as recurring visual elements throughout the series, establishing a unified visual language. The subject's position within the mirror shifts constantly—sometimes whole, sometimes obscured, sometimes fragmented—emphasizing how identity is continually redefined during the act of being observed. Directional lighting plays a pivotal role: harsh light intensifies conflict and tension, while soft light creates an introspective and vulnerable visual atmosphere.

Collectively, the work uses the multi-layered structure of reflection to reveal the distance between the “self” and the “reflected self.” Mirrors thus become not merely reflective surfaces, but sites where identity is questioned, deconstructed, and reassembled.