Don’t Touch My Soul: The Boundaries of Intimacy.
THE STORY OF THIS PORTRAIT Don’t Touch My Soul.
I took this photo from my Italian Friend Alexandra in Berlin. I offered her this portrait photo shoot, and she liked my idea. Furthermore, I took the pictures in her flat, Friedrichshain in Berlin. I like to photograph in a real location which belong to the subject. Photo shooting in the studio in front of a flat background is meaningless for me.
ANALYZING Don’t Touch My Soul: THE BOUNDARIES OF INTIMACY
In this photograph, I captured a moment of profound vulnerability and self-protection of Alexandra. My lens was Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM, and I have a soft focus and shallow depth of field. In this photo, you can see a hand with a soft movement, but surely and wanting to show the boundaries. I tried to create a visual metaphor for Emotional barriers with the physical distance between the viewers and the subject. At least I tried to show it, how much I was successful with showing this, I don’t know, you as an audience can tell me. The boundaries I aimed to show align with the message, “Don’t Touch My Soul.”
THE TITLE (Don’t Touch My Soul)
I believe the title “Don’t Touch My Soul” immediately creates the theme of emotional sovereignty on the audience’s mind. It’s not only about the physical space, but also it’s about protecting all in a world from others’ violation and intrusion.
The Golden rings that we see on the fingers, showing value and preciousness. Maybe it shows the value of something that is behind this picture. (Wearing a ring has a different meaning in different cultures, and also it depends on which finger you wear it on. In some cultures, it shows the person is married, or the person has a fiancé).
The blurred and shallow depth of field, ethereal quality of the picture creates a feel of mystery, dreamy, and in accessibility. We can see facial features, lips, and a bit of eyes, but they remain they are hidden. It seems the subject wants to hide itself and keep itself beyond reach. With these visual elements, I tried to reinforce the concept of “Don’t Touch My Soul,” maintaining one’s inner sanctuary.
PSYCHOLOGICAL
If we want to discuss from a psychological perspective, my picture shows some important concepts:
The boundary between self and other is important for Healthy physical functioning, and it’s this duality that is important in human relations. The raised hand can be translated as a warning in this picture, not aggressively but sensitively, which is separating itself from others while silently saying “Don’t Touch My Soul.”
THE COLOR
Soft colors, warm colors, and creamy colors make an interesting challenge. This duality shows that making boundaries is not because of coldness or rejection, it is because of keeping the warmness, and inner harmony. On the other hand, it shows a Deep understanding that intimacy needs connection and separation.
THE PARTIAL VISIBILITY
The particle visibility of the subject shows a selective vulnerability, choosing which part of the subject can be seen in and which part should be hidden and protected. This selective Disclosure is important for physiological health and ties into the idea of “Don’t Touch My Soul.
In this photograph, which is credited to me (EdMehravaran), I tried to capture this balance between invitation and protection.
The composition in this photo draws the audience in while at the same time keeping the audience at a distance, and creates the same emotional dance we perform in our relationships, we want to be seen, while we have a fear of being known too completely.
TECHNIC NAD PHOTOGRAPHY EQUIPMENT
For this photo session, I used my Canon 6D and my Sony Alpha 7 II. I used my Canon EF 85mm f/1.4 USM and Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM. For editing, I used Capture One Pro.
CONCLUSION Don’t Touch My Soul
In this picture: “Don’t Touch My Soul” I tried to show ultimately a visual meditation on the psychology of boundaries in human relationships, not as walls that keep others out. I have been doing photography for a long time, photography saved my life in some stages, but after a long time, I am trying to dive deeper into the meaning of the photos and analyze my photos more, and talk about my ideas.